Seven-term Bawang Assan assemblyman Wong Soon Koh said Sarawak had always set the example when it came to national harmony and peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims.

However, he said, there was a “rapidly spreading” culture of extremism in the country, which contradicted the progressive values the nation was built on.

“Being a good example is not enough, we need real strength to defend this way of life. That is why Sarawak and Sabah must hold one-third of the parliamentary seats, based on the principle of being equal partners in the federation.

“This is not just about regional interests. It is the only way to defend Malaysia’s diversity and secure a better, more progressive future.

“Only when Sarawak and Sabah hold one-third of Dewan Rakyat seats can Malaysia truly move toward a progressive and enlightened future,” he said in a statement.

Wong, who is a senior vice-president of the Progressive Democratic Party, also came to the defence of his party’s president, Tiong King Sing, amid the controversy over the serving of alcohol at a gala dinner held in conjunction with Tourism Malaysia’s Global Travel Meet.

Tiong, the tourism, arts and culture minister, had insisted that the event was not organised by his ministry, and said his mistake was not announcing the change in organiser for the event.

He maintained that his ministry had never violated government regulations in tourism-related programmes.

The issue had sparked criticism from various parties across the aisle, including Umno, Amanah and PAS, with Tiong facing calls to resign as tourism minister.