KUCHING, Feb 13 — The federal ministers from Sarawak must push for the restoration or recognition of Sarawak’s status as an autonomous partner within the Federation of Malaysia now that the Federation Constitution has been amended to restore Article 1(2), said Selangau MP Baru Bian.

Baru, who is Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said this must be done besides fighting for the restoration of one third of the total 222 parliamentary seats.

The Parti Bersatu Sarawak (PSB) leader said they must also implement the 17 issues on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) which the Pakatan Harapan government had resolved, and quickly resolve the outstanding matters.

"At the same time, the Sarawak government should declare and assert forcefully the most fundamental point in the 18/20 points, that there is no official religion in Sarawak; and that Sarawak’s forefathers had agreed to partner with Malaya to form a secular country.

"This is crucial because the people in Sarawak and Sabah are unhappy with the weaponising of religion and race in Malaya by the political parties to divide the people.

"Sarawak and Sabah must be united in fighting to regain our rights and status within the Federation,” he said in a press statement today

Baru was commenting on the assertion by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on Friday that Sarawak would continue to fight for one third of the total 222 seats in Parliament to be allocated to the Borneo states.

He was glad that now somebody within the government is talking about restoring the one third representation of total parliamentary seats.

"For so many years, I have made many public statements and spoken in the State Assembly on this matter and so have many other opposition leaders.

"The withdrawal of Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965 had caused the balance of power between Peninsula Malaysia and Sabah/Sarawak to shift.

"Over the years, the number of seats in Peninsular Malaysia increased disproportionately to the increase in the number of seats in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

He pointed out there had been increasing calls from Sabah and Sarawak to restore the one-third parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak in keeping with the intention of the framers of MA63.

"Sarawak is a huge state with vast areas where many of her parliamentary areas are even bigger than many states in Peninsular Malaysia. For example, my own parliamentary seat of Selangau is almost as big as the state of Pahang. Some areas can only be accessible through jungle tracks and logging roads.

"The increase of representatives from such areas in the federal Parliament would definitely augur well for the constituents and for national integration,” he said.

Wan Junaidi at a press conference in Kuching had asserted that Sarawak would continue to fight for one third of the total 222 seats in Parliament to be allocated to the Borneo states.

He was quoted as saying this was one of the focuses following Sabah and Sarawak’s recognition as equal partners with Peninsular Malaysia in light of the amendment to clause (2) of Article 1 and clause (2) of Article 160 of the Federal Constitution.

Wan Junaidi also pointed out that Sabah and Sarawak currently hold only 24 per cent of seats in Parliament. — Borneo Post