KUCHING, Dec 16 — The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) candidate for Batu Kitang, Lo Khere Chiang, claimed today that voting for parties based outside the state would weaken the Sarawak state assembly.

Lo, the incumbent for Batu Kitang, claimed this has occurred in Sabah where many of its state assemblymen were from parties that came from Peninsular Malaysia.

"Remember how Sabah is what it is today where the majority (of Sabah state assembly seat) is under peninsular-based parties and so that’s why Sabah state assembly is weak.

"And we don’t want to be like that,” he said during a press conference at the SUPP headquarters here.

Commenting on the constitutional amendments this week that put Sabah and Sarawak on par with the peninsula, Lo said this was due in part to the contributions of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

The amendments restored the relative positions of the three regions to that contained in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

He said the coalition took part in this without inciting Sarawakians about independence, in a veiled swipe at some rivals.

"We have regained MA63 under our constitution, that is a big step and a big achievement for the people of Sarawak.

"And how did the GPS government do it? We did it through Parliament and not by shouting for independence,” he added.

Lo is defending his seat in Batu Kitang against Abdul Aziz Isa Marindo (DAP), Liu Thian Long (Parti Sarawak Bersatu), and Wong Tun Teck (Parti Bumi Kenyalang).

Voting for Sarawak election will be on December 18.

Two days ago, the federal ruling coalition secured a crucial two-thirds support to amend clauses of the Federal Constitution to reflect the MA63 in a move that could restore the status for Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners to Peninsular Malaysia.