KOTA KINABALU, April 6 —  Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that the proposed amendment to make Sabah and Sarawak equal members of the Malaysian federation was not purely for cosmetic reasons.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman said he had promised that Sabah and Sarawak would get equal status to Peninsular Malaysia and that the government will fulfill that promise.

"It’s not cosmetic at all.

"We promised we will recognise the signatures to the Malaysia 1963 agreement was by Sabah, Sarawak and Semenanjung Malaysia. We will recognise these three regions as members of the federation,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after the launching of Bersatu in Sabah here today.

He was asked to comment on the strong opposition to the proposed amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution tabled in parliament this week, which was heavily opposed by Sabah, Sarawak and some Peninsula MPs.

Sarawak chief minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari said that the amendment did not get approval from Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers and it was never discussed.

Keningau MP Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan had said that the proposed amendment was "merely a re-grouping and play of words and changes nothing”.

He said that the aspirations of Sabahans and Sarawakians for their homeland to be restored as equal partners with the Federation of Malaya were ignored in the amendment which he alleged maintains Sabah and Sarawak as the 12^th and 13^th States of Malaya.

They also said that the tabling was rushed through and shrouded in secrecy without consultation of all stakeholders.