KUCHING: The Federal Government’s agreement in principle to increase parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak has been described as a positive development in efforts to strengthen safeguards and balance within the Federation.

Senator Dato’ Ahmad Ibrahim said the matter should not be viewed merely as an increase in the number of seats, but should instead involve improving the ratio of Sabah and Sarawak’s representation in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said stronger representation is important to restore greater balance in Parliament, in line with the history, spirit and safeguards that formed the foundation of Malaysia’s formation in 1963.

“Therefore, increasing parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak today is not merely a matter of numbers or politics. It is also about strengthening safeguards within the Federation and protecting the nation’s long-term interests.

“Stronger representation from Sabah and Sarawak will help ensure that major national decisions, particularly those involving constitutional matters, continue to take into account the interests and unique circumstances of Malaysian Borneo,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Meanwhile, Dato’ Ahmad also stressed the importance of continuing the process to add 17 seats to the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN), which has been approved by the Sarawak DUN, increasing the number of seats from 82 to 99.

He said the Election Commission (EC) is currently continuing the redelineation process, including the public display of proposed constituencies beginning in September 2026.

He stressed that no political conditions should be attached to the process, as the creation and delineation of electoral constituencies are constitutional and electoral matters, while negotiations involving political parties contesting in specific constituencies are separate issues.

“We should not mix the constitutional process of creating electoral constituencies with political negotiations regarding which party should be allocated a particular seat,” he stressed. -UKASnews