BY SITI NURAIN RATANI
KUCHING: Political analyst Dr Lee Kuok Tiung supports Sarawak’s struggle to regain one-third of the total 222 seats in Parliament.
The Associate Professor from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said the efforts by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar would protect the rights of the state and the people of Sarawak, including Sabah.
“We are aware that in order to pass an amendment to a law, the required majority support is two-thirds of the total seats.
“If the number of seats make up two-thirds of the total number of seats (222) available, it means that the Malayan MPs can deny the rights of Sarawak and Sabah,” he said when contacted by Suara Sarawak on Friday.
According to Lee, the situation also allows Malayan MPs to act to amend the federal constitution of Malaysia without the support of MPs from Sarawak and Sabah.
To support this effort, Lee said the number of parliamentary seats in Malaya should be reduced from two -thirds of the total number of seats currently available.
“Alternatively, the parliamentary seats in Sarawak and Sabah now have to be increased so that they have at least one-third of the total number of seats available,” Lee said.
Earlier, Wan Junaidi stated that Sarawak was continuing its struggle to claim its right to regain the allocation of one -third of the total 222 seats in Parliament.
According to the minister, it is one of the main focuses after the amendment to clause (2) of Article 1 and clause (2) of Article 160 of the Federal Constitution has officially recognised Sabah and Sarawak as allies recently.
He said during the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Sarawak received 24 seats, Sabah 16 seats and Singapore 15 seats equivalent to 34.4 per cent while Malaya had 145 seats.
