Sarawak govt committee to study proposal on increasing parliamentary seats, says premier

BETONG, Oct 8 — Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg today said the state government will form a committee to study a proposal by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB) Betong zone to add at least 12 parliamentary seats to Sarawak’s current 31.

He said the study will cover all areas of Sarawak, not just the Betong zone, where the proposed new parliamentary seats would be located.

“However, discretion lies with the Election Commission,” he told reporters after opening the special convention of PBB’s Betong zone held in conjunction with 60 years of Sarawak independence.

Abang Johari had been asked to respond to the Betong zone’s resolution passed at the special convention earlier.

PBB vice-president Datuk Julaihi Narawi, when reading out a list of nine resolutions, said the proposal would increase the collective number of parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah to 35 per cent or one-third of the total number of parliamentary seats in Malaysia.

Abang Johari, who is also PBB president, in his speech earlier, said party members must be prepared to defend the state’s rights from being eroded.

“Secondly, we must be united in our struggle to position Sarawak as an outstanding region in Malaysia,” he said.

He also urged party members to protect laws that guarantee Sarawak its rights, such as the Federal Constitution, State Constitution, Malaysia Agreement 1963 and Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report.

“These legal documents are the foundation of PBB’s struggle,” he said.

Abang Johari told the convention that some entities, whom he did not name, wanted to wrest away the state’s power over its carbon commodity.

“I want to make it very clear that I will protect our right over carbon,” he said.

He said carbon as a commodity has been included in amendments to the Sarawak Land Code.

He added that carbon as an energy is also the state’s right.

“If these people touch our laws and rights, we will fight back. We in PBB should not be scared, just as we fought Petronas in court before this, because we are on the right path,” he said.