KOTA KINABALU, 2 OCT – Parti Warisan (Warisan) today expressed its commitment to support if the proposed redelineation of constituencies in Sabah is brought to Parliament.
President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said this is because the area and number of voters in an area in Sabah is one of the important bases for increasing the number of new Parliament seats in the state.
Taking the example of Kinabatangan and Lahad Datu, Mohd Shafie said the area of the two districts is larger than Perlis, but only has one Member of Parliament compared to three Members of Parliament in Perlis.
“Increasing the number of Parliamentary seats in Sabah is necessary to ensure effectiveness in the management aspect of the people’s administration,” said the Semporna Member of Parliament to reporters after the Relaxation Program with the Media in Kota Kinabalu, today.
Yesterday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said Sabah proposed an increase in parliamentary seats to meet the quota of 35 percent or one third of the total number of parliamentary seats in the country in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Sabah and Sarawak currently have 56 parliamentary seats with 31 in Sarawak and 25 in Sabah out of a total of 222 seats.
It is only 25 percent compared to the 74 parliamentary seats that should be owned by both states and requires an increase of 18 more parliamentary seats taking into account 35 percent or one third as stated in MA63. – Named
