شافعي: سابه سديا بكرجاسام دڠن سراوق
Sabah is ready to work with Sarawak on all issues of common interest, including the need to increase their numbers in parliament.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal agreed with the neighbouring state about the importance of restoring the one-third representation in parliament that was lost after Singapore left the federation in 1965.
On Friday Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing had urged Sabah to work together with the state in efforts to restore parliamentary representation from the two states to one-third of the 222-seat parliament.
Masing said this after Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had said that both states must have at least one third representation in parliament.
RANAU: Sabah is ready to work with Sarawak on all issues of common interest, including the need to increase their numbers in parliament.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal agreed with the neighbouring state about the importance of restoring the one-third representation in parliament that was lost after Singapore left the federation in 1965.
The 15 parliamentary seats of Singapore was moved to the peninsula with Sabah and Sarawak not getting any increase in its representation in parliament following Singapore’s exit, he said here today.
He was speaking to reporters after launching the Mesilou Food Production Park in the Kundasang highlands near here.
On Friday Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing had urged Sabah to work together with the state in efforts to restore parliamentary representation from the two states to one-third of the 222-seat parliament.
Masing said this after Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had said that both states must have at least one third representation in parliament.
Abang Joe said that Sarawak would continue to fight for the restoration of the one-third representation by Sabah and Sarawak in parliament.
He said it was imperative to restore the status of both Sabah and Sarawak as regional partners.
Sabah presently has 25 parliament seats and Sarawak 31.
Underscoring the pressing need Masing had warned that peninsula MPs could gang up and amend the federal constitution because they have two third of the seats in parliament, pointing out that this would be detrimental to Sabah and Sarawak.
“This has created a dangerous situation…parliament can pass any law which is against the interest of Sabah and Sarawak,” he had said.
Shafie said the idea to increase the seats to one-third representation in parliament should also take into account that there was a need to have various areas of the state properly represented.
“Population and size should be among the factors in increasing the seats,” he said.
Shafie said Sabah’s Kinabatangan parliamentary seat was almost the size of Pahang which has 14 parliament seats while Perlis has three parliamentary in comparison to a similar size of Silam seat in Sabah.
“There is definitely a need for more parliament seats in Sabah and also Sarawak. We are ready to work with Sarawak on this matter,” he said, adding Sabah was ready to work with the neighbours on issues of common interest.
On Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s denial that he had purportedly offered him (Shafie) the deputy prime minister post for the support of Warisan, as reported in a news portal recently, Shafie said there was no need for him to comment on that.
Earlier, Shafie told reporters the new permanent agriculture park was part of the state government’s efforts to not only achieve self sufficiency in food production but eventually market the food nationwide and overseas.
Source:
NOTA: SAYA MEMBUAT PENGUMUMAN-PENGUMUMAN PENTING DARI MASA KE SEMASA EKSKLUSIF MENERUSI SALURAN TELEGRAM BERIKUT:
