Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow Jayum Jawan said the issue was rooted in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and should not be viewed in terms of population size, the rural-urban divide or constituency balance.
He rejected the views of analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, who had warned that Sarawak’s claim on more seats based on MA63 rather than population size could spark discontent in the peninsula.
Jayum said: “The exercise that Sabah and Sarawak appear to have secured from the federal government relates to MA63 and the restoration of the legislative status of Sabah and Sarawak in the Malaysian Parliament as equal partners in the federation; not as constituent parts like the 11 states in Malaya,” Dayak Daily reported.
Azmi said political parties in the peninsula were likely to push for more seats if Sarawak’s representation was increased.
Faisal Abdul Aziz, chairman of electoral watchdog Bersih, had also suggested that Sabah and Sarawak be given a one-third share of Dewan Negara seats instead.
However, Jayum said any increase in parliamentary seats must apply to both houses, not just the Senate. He said Faisal’s proposal was a deflection from what Sabah and Sarawak have consistently sought.
“The long-term picture is to restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners alongside Malaya, each forming one-third of Malaysia as agreed in 1963. This has little to do with what West Malaysians like or do not like. It is a fact of Malaysia’s founding history,” he stressed.
Jayum acknowledged that the road ahead may be “long and slippery,” as Sabah and Sarawak’s quest could eventually trigger broader political and economic restructuring.
Jayum’s views were supported by John Brian Anthony, the new president of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak. He said equality in representation could not be reduced to population size alone.
“In any true federation, there are two principles: representation by population (one person, one vote), and equal recognition of constituent partners, regardless of size or numbers,” he said, Dayak Daily reported.
“We are equal partners, and our representation in Parliament, both in the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara, must reflect that reality,” he said in a statement.