Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah speaking to reporters on Monday (Oct 14). - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Granting Sabah and Sarawak one-third of parliamentary seats is necessary to safeguard the rights of both states, says a Sarawak minister.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (pic) said this was the intention of the nation's forefathers when Malaysia was formed in 1963 and the Federal Constitution was formulated.
"The Federal Constitution is the bible of how Malaysia is managed.
"It was formulated in such a way that it can only be amended with a two-thirds majority in Parliament," he told reporters after opening a conference on rural development and entrepreneurship here on Monday (Oct 14).
Abdul Karim was responding to opinions that there were no constitutional provisions for Sabah and Sarawak to be given one-third of the seats in Parliament.
Last Saturday (Oct 12), constitutional expert Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood said the demand for one-third of seats was based on safeguards in the Cobbold Commission's report, Sabah's 20-Point Agreement and Sarawak's 18-Point Agreement, not on the Federal Constitution.
However, Abdul Karim said the intention of the nation's forefathers must be respected and taken into account in granting the Borneo states' demand for one-third of parliamentary seats.
He noted that when Malaysia was formed, the number of MPs from Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore totalled more than one-third.
"When Singapore left in 1965, their 15 seats were not distributed among Sabah and Sarawak but instead given to Peninsular Malaysia, giving them more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats.
"This means technically they can bulldoze through any amendments to the Constitution, even the rights of Sabah and Sarawak.
"This is not what our forefathers had in mind," Abdul Karim said.
He added that the delimitation of constituencies should reflect a one-third representation for Sabah and Sarawak in the Dewan Rakyat to ensure that their rights as enshrined in the Constitution would not be eroded.
