KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Legislative Assembly has approved two Bills to increase state seats from the current 60 to 73 i.e. an increase of 13 seats, according to a Malay Mail Online report. During the 1994 state election, Sabah had 48 state seats and this was subsequently increased to 60 seats.
Deputy Speaker Johnson Tee declared the Motion approved after more than two-thirds of the House approved the Bills in bloc voting to increase the number of seats. The next election in Sabah has to be held by September 2018.
Three of the 55 Assemblymen present opposed the Motion while another, Junz Wong (Likas), abstained. Roland Chia (Inanam), Terrence Siambun (Moyog) and Chan Foong Hin (Sri Tanjung) opposed the Motion.
Mohd Yusof Apdal (Lahad Datu) was absent.
The first Bill, read by Sabah Special Tasks Minister Teo Chee Kang, was to amend the Sabah Constitution to allow for the increase in seats.
The second Bill was to amend Section 2 of the Legislative Assembly (Elected Members) Enactment 1965 to provide for the increase.