On Today SHow
— Voon Lee Shan, lawyer expert on MA63 – MA63 Equality: Restructuring Parliamentary Seats for Sabah, Sarawak, and Malaya
— Mr. Joseph from Kapit – Kapit's Struggle for Development: A Call for Change in Sarawak's Leadership
— Tobey Qi-Sean, Program Coordinator, MANDIRI – AUKU Outdated: MANDIRI Demands Government Repeal to Protect Student Rights
Topik Pada Hari Ini
— Voon Lee Shan, peguam pakar tentang MA63 – Kesaksamaan MA63: Penyusunan Semula Kerusi Parlimen untuk Sabah, Sarawak, dan Malaya
— Encik Joseph dari Kapit – Perjuangan Kapit untuk Pembangunan: Seruan untuk Perubahan dalam Kepimpinan Sarawak
— Tobey Qi-Sean, Koordinator Program, MANDIRI – AUKU Tidak Relevan: MANDIRI Menuntut Kerajaan Membatalkan untuk Melindungi Hak Pelajar
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Voon Lee Shan, Lawyer expert on MA63
*MA63 Equality: Restructuring Parliamentary Seats for Sabah, Sarawak, and Malaya*
Voon Lee Shan expressed his views on a proposal put forth by four NGOs that are vocal about electoral reform—BERSIH, SARAWAK ROSE, TINDAK MALAYSIA, and ENGAGE. These NGOs suggested that one-third of the Senate seats in the Dewan Negara (Senate) be allocated to the Borneo states—Sabah and Sarawak—so they could veto any laws passed in the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) that could affect the rights of Sabah and Sarawak.
However, Voon believes this is not an appropriate suggestion. In his opinion, the real power lies in the Dewan Rakyat. If Sabah and Sarawak are to have equal power, as agreed upon in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), then the number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat must be balanced. Currently, there are 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, but Sabah only has 25 seats, Sarawak 31, while the rest are in Malaya. According to Voon, the distribution should be restructured so that Sabah has 74 seats, Sarawak 74 seats, and Malaya 74 seats, keeping the total at 222. This, Voon argues, is the proposal that should be supported by all parties to restore the MA63 principle of political equality between Sabah, Sarawak, and Malaya.
He further adds that the appointment of Senators to the Dewan Negara is merely a reward for political party members who lost in elections or an appointment of intellectuals with specific expertise to assist the government in the cabinet. Voon's views align with those of 11 NGOs from Sarawak that oppose the SAMA Project (Stability and Accountability for Malaysia Project), which proposed that Sabah and Sarawak should have 35 Senators in the Dewan Negara to safeguard the interests of the two Borneo states. The SAMA Project's media statement was released on September 16, 2024, in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
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