Federal Govt set on giving Sabah, S’wak more seats

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 16, 2026

The Malaysian Federal Government has pledged to increase parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak to restore their representation in line with the 1963 Malaysia Agreement, pending constitutional amendments and electoral boundary reviews. This adjustment aims to address long-standing underrepresentation following historical changes and may be completed before the next general election once outstanding issues are resolved.

The Malaysian Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to increasing the number of parliamentary seats allocated to the states of Sabah and Sarawak, according to Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil. The move aims to enhance representation in line with the original framework of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63).

Fahmi explained that although the process requires adherence to formal procedures, progress is underway. The Election Commission (EC) is prepared to review electoral boundaries once Parliament passes the necessary constitutional amendments. He said the commission recently issued a statement but emphasized that several outstanding issues must be resolved before any proposal can be submitted to the Cabinet for approval and parliamentary tabling.

“We will do our best. What is important is that the process has started,” Fahmi said when asked about the possibility of completing the seat expansion before the next general election.

The announcement follows Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent declaration that the Cabinet has agreed in principle to restore Sabah and Sarawak’s parliamentary representation, marking a return to the spirit of MA63. When Malaysia was formed in 1963, the three states of Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore held one-third of seats in Parliament. However, Singapore’s exit from the federation in 1965, coupled with subsequent redelineation exercises, reduced Sabah and Sarawak’s combined representation to 56 out of 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

Separately, Fahmi also extended support to members of the media affected by recent hardships. He presented financial assistance from Tabung Kasih@Hawana to press photographer Chimon Upon, whose home was damaged by a storm. Fahmi expressed hope that the aid would help ease the family's burden and underscored the government’s readiness to assist media personnel facing unexpected challenges.

To date, the fund has disbursed RM172,000 to 58 media practitioners in Sarawak and RM96,000 to 33 recipients in Sabah, highlighting ongoing efforts to support the press community in these regions.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.