Both PKR and DAP, which form part of the state’s opposition bloc, said they were willing to contribute their efforts to expedite the process should premier Abang Johari Openg invite them to join the special committee his party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), will set up to draft the proposal.

Abang Johari said this submission would be aligned with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and will then be present to the Election Commission (EC).

Sarawak PKR information chief Abun Sui Anyit told FMT that he supported the idea as the party’s state chapter will always support any effort to strengthen the rights of Sarawakians.

Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen said his party too, was willing to play a part in the committee and push for one-third representation for East Malaysia in the Dewan Rakyat.

However, he said the constituencies’ distribution must adhere to the spirit of “one man, one vote” and equal representation.

“It cannot be a case of some urban seats having 150,000 voters but in rural seats, there are only 40,000,” he said.

Currently, 166 of Malaysia’s 222 parliamentary seats are in Peninsular Malaysia while the remaining 56 seats, or 25%, are in Sarawak (31) and Sabah (25). There has been a push from within Sarawak’s ruling party to redraw the electoral map so that East Malaysia seats make up a third of the Dewan Rakyat.