Source- Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud has proposed setting up a special committee under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) council to work out the mechanism to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s parliamentary seats.
Mustapha proposed that the special committee be co-chaired by him and law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.
“The increase in the number of MPs from Sabah and Sarawak has been included in the agenda of the MA63 council and its technical committee meetings, and has also been discussed extensively at Cabinet meetings.
“I have held preliminary discussions with the Election Commission to seek its views and determine the next course of action,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to Willie Mongin (GPS-Puncak Borneo), who sought clarification on the mechanisms and legislative steps required to increase the parliamentary seats in the two states.
Mustapha said discussions would continue at upcoming meetings of the MA63 technical committee.
He also said 13 of the 26 matters under the MA63 negotiation platform have been resolved while three are partially resolved, five unresolved, and another five being discussed by the prime minister, the Sarawak premier and the Sabah chief minister.
