PRESS STATEMENT
Parliamentary Seats are Constitutional Safeguards
for
Sabah Sarawak – Dr. Jeffrey
.................................................
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Kota Kinabalu: “Allocation of parliamentary seats
for Sabah and Sarawak should not be based
solely on population and as though Sabah and
Sarawak are equal in status to the States in the
Peninsula” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR
Sabah Chief, commenting on the view that extra
seats will not help Sabah and Sarawak or that
Sabah and Sarawak are not entitled to extra
seats in the new re-delineation exercise due to
its lower population.
The number of parliamentary seats is a
constitutional safeguard agreed at the formation
of Malaysia to safeguard the position and
interests of Sabah and Sarawak. Without this
safeguard, Sabah and Sarawak would probably
not have joined the federation as it would mean
that it would be swallowed up by and be at the
mercy of Malaya.
As provided in the Inter-Governmental
Committee (IGC) Report, in 1963 Malaya was
only allocated 104 seats representing 65% of the
parliamentary seats with Sabah, Sarawak and
Singapore getting 35%. This was a constitutional
safeguard for the Borneo States to ensure that
the Federal Constitution would not be freely
amended by Malaya representatives alone.
It was also recommended in paragraphs 165 and
190(g) of the Cobbold Commission Report that
“representation of the Borneo territories shall
take into account not only of their populations
but also of their size and potentialities.”
When Singapore departed in 1965, their
allocation should have been shared between
Sabah and Sarawak. It was not and was
overlooked. In hindsight, it could have been a
deliberate manipulation by the federal Malayan
leaders.
As a result, the Federal Constitution was
amended on 27 August 1976 down-grading
Sabah and Sarawak to be the 12th and 13th
States, equal to the likes of Perlis (which is 90
times smaller than Sabah which in area is equal
to 9 states in Peninsula) and Sarawak being
almost equal in size to all the 11 Peninsular
States.
To Sabah and Sarawak, the parliamentary seats
are seen not from population but from its size
and potentialities, their entitlement of 35% to
deny Malaya a 2/3 majority in Parliament and as
a constitutional safeguard to protect their
interests from being over-run by Malaya.
As a result, in the forthcoming re-delineation
exercise, Sabah and Sarawak should be entitled
to 35% of the enlarged Parliament. At the Senate
level, Sabah and Sarawak should have at least
1/3 of the Senators.
To some, it may be seen as a step to keep the
Barisan Nasional in power. It is not so whatever
the detractors may say. To the PR supporters,
the solution is a simple one. PR should work with
parties in Sabah and Sarawak particularly
opposition parties to win in Sabah and Sarawak
who can then in turn support PR to form the
federal government.
Currently, non-Umno BN components control 8
MPs in Sabah and and 25 MPs in Sarawak.
Together with the 89 it currently holds, PR would
have 122 seats, more than the 112 needed to
form the federal government. PR is not working
hard enough to achieve this and thinks that it
can win control of Putrajaya on their own without
support from Sabah and Sarawak parties.
It is a narrow and myopic view because as long
as it is part of the federal government, it
remains the same for parties from Sabah and
Sarawak. For instance, the 25 MPs from Sarawak
BN can form the federal government with PR and
they would still be controlling the Sarawak
government as well as be part of the federal
government. If such is the case, the Sabah BN
even Sabah Umno MPs will be joining them in
the federal government.
Together with the 22
MPs from Sabah, PR will have 136 seats, a very
comfortable majority. It will not be surprising
that it will turn into a 2/3 majority with 12 Umno
MPs from Malaya jumping over.
Sumber: Feed Bahasa Malaysia
Parliamentary Seats are Constitutional Safeguards
for
Sabah Sarawak – Dr. Jeffrey
.................................................
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Kota Kinabalu: “Allocation of parliamentary seats
for Sabah and Sarawak should not be based
solely on population and as though Sabah and
Sarawak are equal in status to the States in the
Peninsula” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR
Sabah Chief, commenting on the view that extra
seats will not help Sabah and Sarawak or that
Sabah and Sarawak are not entitled to extra
seats in the new re-delineation exercise due to
its lower population.
The number of parliamentary seats is a
constitutional safeguard agreed at the formation
of Malaysia to safeguard the position and
interests of Sabah and Sarawak. Without this
safeguard, Sabah and Sarawak would probably
not have joined the federation as it would mean
that it would be swallowed up by and be at the
mercy of Malaya.
As provided in the Inter-Governmental
Committee (IGC) Report, in 1963 Malaya was
only allocated 104 seats representing 65% of the
parliamentary seats with Sabah, Sarawak and
Singapore getting 35%. This was a constitutional
safeguard for the Borneo States to ensure that
the Federal Constitution would not be freely
amended by Malaya representatives alone.
It was also recommended in paragraphs 165 and
190(g) of the Cobbold Commission Report that
“representation of the Borneo territories shall
take into account not only of their populations
but also of their size and potentialities.”
When Singapore departed in 1965, their
allocation should have been shared between
Sabah and Sarawak. It was not and was
overlooked. In hindsight, it could have been a
deliberate manipulation by the federal Malayan
leaders.
As a result, the Federal Constitution was
amended on 27 August 1976 down-grading
Sabah and Sarawak to be the 12th and 13th
States, equal to the likes of Perlis (which is 90
times smaller than Sabah which in area is equal
to 9 states in Peninsula) and Sarawak being
almost equal in size to all the 11 Peninsular
States.
To Sabah and Sarawak, the parliamentary seats
are seen not from population but from its size
and potentialities, their entitlement of 35% to
deny Malaya a 2/3 majority in Parliament and as
a constitutional safeguard to protect their
interests from being over-run by Malaya.
As a result, in the forthcoming re-delineation
exercise, Sabah and Sarawak should be entitled
to 35% of the enlarged Parliament. At the Senate
level, Sabah and Sarawak should have at least
1/3 of the Senators.
To some, it may be seen as a step to keep the
Barisan Nasional in power. It is not so whatever
the detractors may say. To the PR supporters,
the solution is a simple one. PR should work with
parties in Sabah and Sarawak particularly
opposition parties to win in Sabah and Sarawak
who can then in turn support PR to form the
federal government.
Currently, non-Umno BN components control 8
MPs in Sabah and and 25 MPs in Sarawak.
Together with the 89 it currently holds, PR would
have 122 seats, more than the 112 needed to
form the federal government. PR is not working
hard enough to achieve this and thinks that it
can win control of Putrajaya on their own without
support from Sabah and Sarawak parties.
It is a narrow and myopic view because as long
as it is part of the federal government, it
remains the same for parties from Sabah and
Sarawak. For instance, the 25 MPs from Sarawak
BN can form the federal government with PR and
they would still be controlling the Sarawak
government as well as be part of the federal
government. If such is the case, the Sabah BN
even Sabah Umno MPs will be joining them in
the federal government.
Together with the 22
MPs from Sabah, PR will have 136 seats, a very
comfortable majority. It will not be surprising
that it will turn into a 2/3 majority with 12 Umno
MPs from Malaya jumping over.
Sumber: Feed Bahasa Malaysia
0 comments:
Post a Comment