The peninsula, with its present total number of parliamentary seats, can easily secure a two-third majority without the need of support from Sabah and Sarawak and amend the Federal Constitution, in which all the special safeguards for both Borneo states are also preserved.
This is against what had been agreed upon by all the parties involved during the formation, i.e. the distribution of parliamentary seats in the peninsula should not be more than two-third of the total number of seats.
United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun and Murut Organisation (Upko), which uncovered this after studying in depth the Cobbold Commission report and the Malaysia Agreement, also noticed that the Election Commission (EC) is not following this policy on parliamentary seat distribution.
"Upko's study of the Cobbold Commission report and the Malaysia Agreement signed on Aug. 28, 1963, found it was carefully decided that the total number of parliamentary seats in the distribution of seats in the peninsula must not be more than two-third of the total parliamentary seats, to ensure that any attempt to amend the Federal Constitution, especially those touching on the special safeguards of the Borneo states, must have support from the Borneo states," said its Sec-Gen, Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau.
"Thus, the peninsula was then allocated 104 seats, as opposed to 15 seats for Singapore, 16 for Sabah and 20 for Sarawak, giving it a total of 51 seats.
That 51 seats constitute 34 per cent of the total parliamentary seats of 155 seats," he explained.
"Unfortunately by 1974, the peninsula was given an additional 10 seats making it 114 seats, while there were no additional seats for Sabah and Sarawak. And with the withdrawal of Singapore from the Federation, it was now possible for the peninsula to secure two-thirds without the support of Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
Presently, peninsula has 166 seats as opposed to Sabah and Sarawak with 56 seats, he told a press conference at the party's headquarters, Tuesday.
Party Vice President Senator Datuk Maijol Mahap, Wanita Chief Dr Jaina Sintian and Komulakan Chief Ewon Benedict, were present.
Madius also raised this matter on the distribution of parliamentary seats during the recently concluded Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform public hearing here.
In addition to the anomaly, Madius said a careful analysis of the geographical sizes of the three territories showed that the peninsula with a land size of 131,598 sq km was allocated 166 seats, as opposed to Sabah (73,631 sq km) only given 25 seats and Sarawak (124,450 sq km) 31 seats, where both combined a total area of 198,081sq km but allocated a mere 56 seats.
Upko proposed to the Parliamentary Select Committee that in the present re-delineation exercise Sabah should be given an additional 10 parliamentary seats making it 35 seats and a corresponding 21 parliamentary seat increase for Sarawak, making a total of 87 seats.
Madius said with 87 seats (Sabah and Sarawak) versus 166 seats for peninsula, it will no longer be possible for Members of Parliament from the peninsula to amend the Federal Constitution without support from Sabah and Sarawak.
"In doing so we should have followed the spirit of the Cobbold Commission and the Malaysia Agreement and at the same time allay the fear of leaders of the Borneo states such as expressed by the late Tun Jugah, as reported by the Cobbold Commission when he said: "Anang Malaysia sebaku tebu, manis dipohon, tawar di hujung (Malaysia should not be like the sugar cane, sweet at the head and getting less and less sweet towards the end)," he said.
"Hence in any subsequent re-delineation exercise when it comes to the creation of new parliamentary seats, the EC must strictly follow the policy of ensuring 34 per cent of parliamentary seats are always maintained for Sabah and Sarawak," said Madius.
In addition, he said Upko also proposed that the re-delineation exercise with the objective of creating parliamentary and state constituencies must be done with the view to ensure that major native communities are represented such as the Kimaragang, the Tabilung, the Lotud, the Lundayeh, the Tatana, the Kadazan Papar and Membakut, the Orang Asli of Semenanjung, etc.
"In line with that Upko demands that the EC reinstate the State constituency of Langkon," he said, adding that the party also cautioned the EC to be truly autonomous and independent as well as to be more professional in treating State Government and community leaders' proposal, complaints as well as objections to the EC's proposal for re-delineation.
Referring to the EC's non-action to various proposals, views and objections by various parties to the 1993 re-delineation proposal by the EC, Madius said that re-delineation of electoral boundaries was the beginning of a systematic reduction of non-Muslim natives and Chinese dominated seats by the EC.
"We lost more than eight seats including the removal of Langkon and Sook," he said.
Upko also wants the EC to re-instate the 1967, 1976, 1985 and 1990 distribution of seats according to racial composition, he said, adding the setting up of the Parliamentary Select Committee is a golden opportunity to rectify past arbitrary decisions of the EC to one that is based on the spirit of the formation of Malaysia which seeks harmony, stability, progress and prosperity for all.
THE party submitted a comprehensive 101-page document to the Parliamentary Select Committee during its public hearing and presented the highlights of the proposals.
This included explaining the party's proposal for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate and clean up the existence of "Project IC" holders in the electoral roll.
Madius said Upko's stand on this matter is consistent with Upko's position calling on the Federal Government to establish RCI to resolve issues pertaining to the "Project IC" and IMM13 holders once and for all.
"We cannot be calling for a RCI on the Project IC and not on the cleaning up of the electoral roll.
The two are actually related especially after a careful reading of the written judgement by Justice Datuk Haji Muhammad Kamil Awang in the Likas Election Petition 1999," he said.
"That is why Upko will not support any automatic registration of voters on reaching the voting age of 21 for the simple reason that questions raised on the existence of Project IC holders have not been dealt with by the authorities concerned," he said.
Once the RCI has clearly provided answers to each and every question raised, he said then Upko will be in a better position to support the proposal for automatic registration of voters, he said.
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