Government starts talks with EC on adding more parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak
The federal government has opened preliminary discussions with the Election Commission about increasing the number of Dewan Rakyat seats allocated to Sabah and Sarawak.
Mustapha Sakmud, the minister handling Sabah and Sarawak affairs, announced that the government is in early talks with the Election Commission to consider expanding the Dewan Rakyat seats for the two Borneo states. He proposed creating a dedicated sub-committee within the technical committee to work out the practical steps, with the Law Minister potentially sharing chairmanship. These discussions follow earlier deliberations within the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council and its technical committee, as well as Cabinet consideration.
Sakmud emphasized that the talks are still preliminary and that further input will be gathered before any decision. The issue will be on the agenda of the upcoming technical committee meeting under the MA63 framework. The move responds to calls for Sabah and Sarawak to hold at least 35% of the total parliamentary seats.
Why it matters
Increasing seats could boost Sabah and Sarawak's influence in Malaysia's federal legislature.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps report the same development - a minister-led effort to examine increasing parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak - but centrist coverage emphasizes the proposal of a special committee and its placement on the MA63 agenda, while right-leaning coverage highlights the start of early talks with the Election Commission and the preliminary nature of the discussions.
CENTER
Centrist coverage frames the story as the minister proposing a special committee to work out the mechanism for adding seats, noting its inclusion in MA63 and cabinet deliberations.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage frames the story as the government beginning early talks with the Election Commission and setting up a sub-committee, stressing that the discussions are still preliminary.
The right emphasises
- government in early talks with the Election Commission
- creation of a dedicated sub-committee to work out practical steps
- emphasis that talks are preliminary and further input will be gathered
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