KOTA KINABALU: More parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak are necessary to help serve the people better in the Bornean states, says Datuk Robert Tawik.
The Sabah STAR deputy president said calls by parliamentarians from the two states for additional parliamentary seats were appropriate based on the size of the area and the total population.
Taking the example of Sabah's interior areas which currently have three parliamentary constituencies - Keningau, Pensiangan and Tenom - he said it would be right to add another two Parliament seats to serve people in the area.
"New parliamentary constituencies in the interior can be created in the Trusmadi area in Keningau and the Rundum area in Tenom," said Tawik, who is the Bingkor assemblyman, on Tuesday (March 8).
Tawik said the Tambunan (now under Keningau) and Tulid ( Under Pensiangan) state constituencies could be placed under a new parliamentary constituency in the Trusmadi area.
Similarly, the Melalap and Kemabong state constituencies can be expanded to parts of the Sook and Nabawan state constituencies to be placed under the new parliamentary constituency in the Rundum area.
Tawik, who is assistant state Works Minister, was weighing in on the ongoing push at Parliament by Sabah and Sarawak MPs for more parliamentary seats.
He said Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has also been urging Sabah and Sarawak to get more Parliament seats.
In Parliament Monday (March 7), MPs from Sabah and Sarawak voiced the call for adding at least 28 parliamentary seats for the two states in the Borneo region during the Royal Address.
The addition of 28 parliamentary seats will provide the distribution of 14 new seats for Sabah and Sarawak respectively.
Among others, the MPs said there was a need for the two states to make up one-third of the seat composition in Parliament while also the need to protect the two states as partners in the federation.
Sabah and Sarawak currently have 56 of the 222 Parliament seats.