KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Leading legal authorities from the federal government as well as from Sabah and Sarawak will convene to examine the legitimacy of the request for Sabah and Sarawak to be allocated one-third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the decision was made during a meeting of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) implementation action council on September 12, according to a report published today in Free Malaysia Today.

Azalina explained that Putrajaya’s legal affairs division had been tasked with preparing a memorandum for the Cabinet, which would be considered after being tabled to the MA63 action council.

“However, the MA63 council decided on September 12, 2024, that the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) and attorney general’s departments of Sabah and Sarawak would review the interpretation and legitimacy of this ‘safeguard’ from a legal perspective,” she said in a written reply to the Dewan Rakyat.

“The AGC is in the midst of taking the necessary action on this matter,” said Azalina in the written reply.

Currently, the Dewan Rakyat consists of 222 members, with 25 seats allocated to Sabah and 31 to Sarawak, making up 25.2 per cent of the voting power.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg has emphasised that securing one-third of the representation is essential for the Borneo states to prevent the federal government from nullifying the provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

During Malaysia’s formation in 1963, Malaya was allocated 105 of the 160 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, representing 65 per cent of the house.

Sarawak held 24 seats, Sabah 16, and Singapore 15.

The non-Malayan representation of 34.6 per cent granted them veto power over constitutional amendments, which necessitate a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

However, after Singapore left the federation in 1965, their share decreased to 27 per cent of the 144 seats in the house.

Azalina further clarified that the AGC had not received any official proposal for additional Senate seats for Sabah and Sarawak, such as the suggestion for the two states to each receive an extra 15 seats through constitutional amendments.

“This matter was also not discussed in the MA63 action council meeting,” she added.