TUARAN: Chief Minister and Chairman of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said tthe increase in parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak is in line with the requirements of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“It is stipulated in MA63 that Sabah and Sarawak should have at least one-third of the total seats in Parliament,” he said when met after a meeting with the GRS Sulaman election machinery at the Rumpun Bajau Samah Hall in Kampung Lok Batik today.
He welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announcement that the Federal Government has, in principle agreed to increase the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak.
“Yes, this is certainly what Sabah and Sarawak have long awaited, that is for us to secure additional parliamentary seats. Sabah and Sarawak are two large states and should rightfully be given special consideration for this increase,” he said.
Hajiji said that additional seats are also necessary as several parliamentary constituencies in Sabah have experienced population growth, such as Kinabatangan, which is as large as Pahang but has only one parliamentary seat, and Tuaran, which is larger than Perlis but likewise has only one seat.
“Thank you to the Prime Minister,” he said. – pr/BNN
