Proposal to increase number of parliamentary seats for Sarawak, Sabah not finalised yet, says DPM Fadillah

KUCHING, Jan 24 2026: A proposal to increase the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak under the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) has not yet been finalised, Deputy PrimeMinister Fadillah Yusof has said.

Fadillah Yusof: The proposal is still at the discussion stage

He said the finalisation will depend on the outcome of negotiations between the federal government and the state governments of the two Borneo regions, with the need for the support of two-thirds of Members of Parliament being the main determinant.

He said the proposal is still at the discussion stage because it involves major implications from the point of view of the constitution, legislation and national administration.

“The increase in parliamentary seats is still under discussion because it involves many matters including administration and legislation. If agreed, it needs to be brought to Parliament and requires two-thirds support,” he said when met by the media at the Shell LiveWIRE Malaysia 2025 Awards Ceremony, here, today.

According to him, although in terms of policy and principle, the proposal to increase the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak does exist, its implementation is still subject to ongoing negotiations.

“What is being demanded still depends on the ongoing negotiations,” he explained.

Commenting on further developments, Fadillah said the discussions were currently still at the officer level and had not yet entered the technical phase following the recent changes in the composition of the Federal Cabinet, including the appointment of the Minister of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs.

“This matter will be detailed in the upcoming technical meeting before being brought to the committee level and then to the Consultative Council at the highest level,” he said.

In the meantime, he informed that the decision at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) level had been approved and the next process was to obtain the approval of Parliament.

However, he explained that the main challenge was to obtain the approval of two-thirds of the Members of Parliament if the increase in Parliament seats exceeded 25 percent as provided for under the constitutional provisions.