KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional (BN) can expect positive support from the people in the new areas under the redelineation process, including in Sabah, if the Parliament approves the bill.
Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah secretary-general Datuk Dr Johnson Tee is confident of this when asked to comment on the possibility of an earlier tabling of the redelineation of electoral border involving state and parliamentary seats in the current Parliament sitting.
“Judging from the positive support in the new areas, BN will gain most of the new seats.
“However, in the case of Sabah, if the Parliament does not approve the new constituencies, the people will blame the Federal Government,” he cautioned.
Tee, who is also Sabah state assembly deputy speaker, said it had been a while since the state assembly passed the bill back in August 2016 to increase state seats from 60 to 73.
“If the Parliament disapproves the bill, it may have a negative impact on BN in the coming elections.
“It will be construed as disrespect of the Sabah State Assembly and insult to Yang Di-Pertua Negeri (Tun Juhar Mahiruddin).”
In accordance with the Federal Constitution, the motion will need a simple majority to be passed.
In a news report on Sunday, sources said the tabling of the motion, initially scheduled for March 29, would be pushed forward, indicating the possibility that the Parliament would be dissolved either at the end of the month or early next month.
The motion of a draft constitutional order and a study report of the redelineation of parliamentary and state constituencies are expected to be tabled as early as March 19 or latest by March 26.