KOTA KINABALU, Nov 17 — Caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the scheduled increase in parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak is in accordance with the provisions 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, referring to an assurance by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the matter with the media, earlier.  

“Yes, this is certainly what Sabah and Sarawak have long awaited — additional parliamentary seats. Sabah and Sarawak are two large states and should rightfully be given special consideration for this increase,” he said.

Hajiji added that additional seats are necessary as several parliamentary constituencies in Sabah have experienced significant population growth. 

He cited 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. — Daily Express