He said the Sarawak government had brought up this matter to the Election Reform Committee (ERC), chaired by former Election Commission chairman Ab Rashid Ab Rahman.

The ERC, which was established in August 2018, was tasked with submitting a comprehensive report containing electoral reform proposals, including systems, processes and legal amendments.

“Sarawak and Sabah must have more than one-third of the parliamentary seats,” Abang Johari said at a press conference here today.

Currently, there are 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak while Sabah has 25.

When the Federation of Malaysia was formed in 1963, Malaya held two-thirds of the parliamentary seats with one-third held by Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore — Malaya 104, Singapore 15, Sabah 16 and Sarawak 24.

However, when Singapore left in 1963, the 15 parliamentary seats were not allocated to Sabah and Sarawak.

“Previously, with Singapore in, we were more than one-third but as it is now, we are less than one-third,” he said.

He said Putrajaya must get the support of Sabah and Sarawak, especially when it wants to amend the Federal Constitution, instead of this being confined to only Malaya.