KUCHING, Feb 13 — The amendments of four articles of the Federal Constitution relating to the rights of Sarawak and Sabah, which were unanimously passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 14, last year are meaningless unless two-thirds of 222 parliamentary seats are given to both states, said Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan.
Voon, who is a lawyer, opined the amendments could not, as claimed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, restore Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners within Malaysia under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“The amendments, by not giving one-third and another one-third seats out of 222 parliament seats for Sarawak and Sabah, are meaningless.
“Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia), without giving away two-thirds out of the 222 seats in parliament to Sabah and Sarawak, confirm the political suppression of Sarawak and Sabah of their rights by Malaya. Malaya by this way is also confirming Sarawak and Sabah as her colonies.
“If there is to be a meaningful amendment, it must be clearly stated that Sarawak and Sabah are countries within the federation of Malaysia. This would allow the Chief Ministers of Sarawak and Sabah be called as Prime Ministers,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
Voon was responding to Wan Junaidi’s statement on Feb 10 that the amendments to four articles of the Federal Constitution relating to the rights of Sarawak and Sabah, which were unanimously passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 14, last year, came into force on Feb 11.
Wan Junaidi said the amendments to Act A1642 are very significant and was the much awaited “good news” for the people of Sarawak and Sabah as it restored them as equal partners within Malaysia under the MA63.
Wan Junaidi said the amendments, enshrined in the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2022, involved the list of the states of the Federation in Clause 2 of Article 1; the definition of the Federation and the new definition of Malaysia Day in Clause 2 of Article 160; the indigenous races of Sarawak in Clause (6)(a) of Article 161A; and the removal of Clause 7 of Article 161A.
Under the amendments, the native status of people in Sarawak and Sabah will no longer be decided by the federal government but instead by the Sarawak government and Sabah government through their own constitutions.
Despite the federal government’s efforts to restore the rights of Sarawak and Sabah, Voon said his party maintained its stance that MA63 is an invalid international agreement.
“Being invalid, any amendment to the Federal Constitution and the consent to gazette the amendments by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, could not put the breaches in MA63 right.
“You cannot restore a broken glass. Without a valid MA63, Malaysia could not be born,” he said. — Borneo Post
