KUCHING, Oct 11 2025: Sarawakians and Sabahans should not be happy with the allocation of the combined one-third of the total number of parliamentary seats to Sarawak and Sabah, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has argued.
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He said the one-third allocation of the parliamentary actually does not benefit the two Borneo regions while the two-thirds are still controlled by Malaya.
He said the one-third allocation is based on the assumption that all the parliamentary seats in Sarawak and Sabah are won by the local-born parties.
He said it is just a fallacy.
He said Malayan-based political parties will also be competing for seats in Sarawak and Sabah.
“The argument that Malayan political parties will ensure only Sabahans and Sarawakians contest in Sabah and Sarawak for parliamentary seats is flawed,” Voon said in a statement, today.
“This is because our parliamentary system follows the Westminster parliamentary system whereby the Members of Parliament have to follow their party whips or party directions.
“This means that Sabahans and Sarawakians who win the parliamentary seats have to follow the directions of their parties in Malaya. Their allegiance, in that sense, is not with Sabah and Sarawak, but, Malaya,” he argued, adding that the one-third allocation will not be a safeguard to protect Sarawak and Sabah’s interests.
He said when it comes to voting on constitutional issues that affect the interests of Sarawak and Sabah and require mandatory two-thirds support of the total number of Members of Parliament,
the likelihood is that the Members of Parliament from Sarawak and Sabah will vote along party-line.
Voon suggested that Article 47 of the Federal Constitution relating to the qualifications of Members of Parliament should be amended to prohibit Malayans and Malayan political parties from contesting for parliamentary sears in Sarawak and Sabah.
“We need to think carefully that increasing the number of seats for Sarawak and Sabah would be like putting a rope to tie our necks, if Article 47 of the federal constitution is not amended,” he added.
“As it is now, unless disqualified under Article 48 of the Federal Constitution, Malayans and Malayan political parties can contest for any parliamentary seats in Sarawak and Sabah.
“At the same time, Article 16 of the Sarawak Constitution has to be amended too to prohibit all Malayan political parties to contest in the state elections. Sabah should also do the same,” he added.
“As it is now in Sarawak, political parties from Malaya are not prohibited to contest in any state seats in Sarawak. Article 16 as it is now allows Malayans although born here to contest the state seats here.
“There are many Malayans, especially those in the government service, who are married to Sarawakians and have children here but after they have completed their tour of service, they have to go back to Malaya.
“Their children therefore, are citizens of Malaya, not Sarawak.
“By being in Sarawak should not qualify them as citizens of Sarawak. As it is, it seems that they qualify as citizens of Sarawak by operation of Article 16 of the Sarawak Constitution.
“Malayans tour of service here is not due to their own choice but due to duty. They should be disqualified from contesting in state seats in Sarawak.
“What will happen if political parties from Malaya are able to control the Sarawak Legislature? This will then allow Malayans to control Sarawak more easily,” he said, adding that it is a trap for Sarawakians to fall into.
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