BY NURA V LORNA & JAMES WONG
KUCHING: Securing one-third of parliamentary seats for East Malaysia is crucial to resetting the federal-state relationship and shifting the mindset of Putrajaya towards Sabah and Sarawak.
Political analyst Professor James Chin said this move would significantly alter the balance of power, ensuring East Malaysia’s role in national politics is indispensable.
He asserted that achieving the one-third benchmark would pave the way for stronger representation, including the potential of securing a Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) position for East Malaysia.
“If we don’t get one-third, there’s no possibility. But if we do, there’s a genuine chance that the DPM position could be permanently reserved for someone from East Malaysia.
“It’s really important that we get one-third of the seats in Parliament. That alone will reset the federal-state relationship and change Putrajaya’s view of East Malaysia,” he said.
He said this during a talk on Sarawak’s Role in Nation Building, hosted by Sarawak Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) Commissioner Dr John Chew Chee Ming at MBKS Auditorium on Friday night.
Chin added that real political power comes from real numbers, emphasising that East Malaysia’s current share of only 25 per cent of parliamentary seats leaves the region with limited influence.
He also stressed the need to correct historical injustices, particularly the failure to redistribute seats to Sabah and Sarawak after Singapore’s exit from Malaysia in 1965.
Chin said that this oversight has contributed to the continued marginalisation of the Borneo states in federal politics, calling for immediate action to rectify this wrong.
“Just like the Constitutional Amendment was to correct a historical wrong, I don’t see any controversy in addressing the seat distribution issue from 1965,” he remarked.
Additionally, Chin also addressed the suggestion of pursuing additional seats in the Dewan Negara, arguing that it is not the right approach compared to the broader goal of securing one-third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
“It is incorrect to argue that getting the Dewan Negara seats now is a better option.
“It is far better to wait for the real thing, which is one-third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat where real political power lies,” he said.
He stressed the importance of seizing this rare opportunity while the Malayan political class remains divided.
“This opportunity only comes once in a lifetime. We can push for these changes now because they are not united.
“If they were united, they would completely ignore Sabah and Sarawak,” he stressed.
As such, he urged Sabah and Sarawak leaders to remain firm in their demand for one-third representation, calling it a crucial step toward ensuring East Malaysia’s political relevance and influence.
“We must not back down in terms of the one-third seats.”
