Federal Government Not Ready to Commit to One-Third Parliamentary Representation for Sabah, Sarawak

KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government is not yet able to commit to granting Sabah and Sarawak one-third representation in the Malaysian Parliament, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Sunday (Nov 16).

Anwar confirmed that Putrajaya has agreed in principle to increasing parliamentary seats for both Borneo states but stressed that a fixed commitment to the one-third formula has not been finalized.

“So far, there is no commitment to one-third representation for Sabah and Sarawak,” he told reporters during the Santai Media program. “But as a matter of policy, we are committed to increasing parliamentary seats for both states.”

He said the Election Commission (EC) would determine the exact number of new seats, adding that the Sabah and Sarawak Attorneys General as well as the federal Attorney General have been instructed to study the proposed increase.

Calls for restoring one-third representation for the Borneo regions stem from the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). Following Singapore’s exit from the federation in 1965, the proportion of seats held by Sabah and Sarawak fell significantly, shifting more representation to Peninsular Malaysia.

Currently, Sabah has 25 parliamentary seats, while Sarawak holds 31.

During the same session, Anwar responded to issues raised by Sabah Journalists Association president Mariah Doksil regarding low salaries in the media industry.

He expressed shock that some senior media practitioners with over 10 years of experience still earn below RM2,000 per month.

“This is unacceptable,” he said, adding that he would discuss the matter with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. The government plans to meet local media companies and practitioners to identify possible solutions.

Anwar said targeted incentives could be introduced to help increase salaries and allowances if direct implementation of the minimum wage proves challenging. He also encouraged media organizations to set their own internal minimum wage schemes to safeguard staff welfare and strengthen professional journalism amid pressure from social media competition.

He noted that government-linked companies (GLCs) have been guided to adopt a minimum wage of RM3,100, expressing hope that private-sector employers would follow suit.