No closed-door nego, please! Anwar, Abang Jo & Co told to hold open dialogue on one-third seats for Sarawak, Sabah
Written by Steering Committee, BERSIH
KUALA LUMPUR (politicsnowmy.blogspot.com) - The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) calls for a national dialogue and an open debate on the issue of the demand for one-third parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah.
This call follows the "Road to Reform (R2R)" roadshow organized by BERSIH in Sarawak, which drew nearly 150 participants from over 20 civil society organizations and political parties in the state. The roadshow featured three key programs that delved into subsequent issues: a youth empowerment workshop, an electoral constituency redelineation workshop, and a public forum titled "Veto Power for East Malaysia: Dewan Rakyat or Dewan Negara.”
Given the active interest and encouraging responses on these issues, BERSIH calls for a national dialogue involving all stakeholders to discuss provisions in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), particularly the percentage of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak and obtaining veto powers for constitutional amendments that could erode the rights of Sabah and Sarawak.
To initiate this dialogue, BERSIH proposes an open debate between two prominent intellectuals representing different perspectives, namely Professor Wong Chin Huat and Professor James Chin; both hold contrasting views but ultimately share a similar goal of upholding the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as envisioned in MA63. In the interest of transparency, integrity and democratic values, we propose an open and honest debate wary of sentiment, naming, shaming or blaming – rather to discuss the issue of the demand for one-third of parliamentary seats for the regions of Sabah and Sarawak to obtain veto power as a national issue involving the interests of Malaysian federalism, the value and equality of the vote, and all citizens.
The dialogue should lead to an ongoing conversation bringing together multiple stakeholders, constitutional experts, international law experts, politicians, civil society organizations, and the general public. BERSIH is ready to act as the driving force behind this national dialogue.
On the Sarawak Road to Reform roadshow, BERSIH had also met with the Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department YB Dato' Hajah Sharifah Hasidah to submit a memorandum to the Sarawak Government on the issue of the demand for one-third of parliamentary seats and election-related issues. Among the proposals discussed was facilitating voting for Sarawakians working and studying in Peninsular Malaysia by granting them the right to either early voting or postal voting. The second proposal was to address the issue of unequal electoral constituency distribution (malapportionment), as Sarawak is the second state with the highest rate of malapportionment in Malaysia after Selangor.
BERSIH expresses its gratitude to the people of Sarawak who participated in the R2R roadshow and shared valuable insights on the issues of Sabah and Sarawak's representation, as well as electoral and institutional reforms in the Land of the Hornbills.
Written by The Steering Committee of BERSIH
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