KUCHING: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo is unfazed over the brouhaha over the proposed amendment to the Article 16 of the Sarawak Constitution.
“Article 16 of Sarawak Constitution rules on eligibility of a citizen to run for the office of elected lawmaker to DUN. Without amendment, our Sarawak law means that any Malaysia citizen, even if he is non-Sarawakian but has been residing in Sarawak, is qualified to run for election to DUN,” she said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 11).
Soo said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah’s proposal to table the motion had created more ambiguity and uncertainties than the original legislation.
“The amendment to Article 16 is not to clarify the words ‘resident in the State’ but to qualify the criteria of who holds resident status for the purpose of election to DUN,” she pointed out.
She elaborated it was imperative to amend the law to give a clear meaning on the definition of the act.
“Without amendment, this means that non-Sarawakians who have been residing in Sarawak for more than two years are eligible to be elected to DUN.
“And that person can even hold the highest office in Sarawak too!
“Sarawak law must state very clearly that only a natural born person of Sarawak, who holds Sarawak status of being born to at least one Sarawak parent, and who has been living in Sarawak for a specified period of residence in Sarawak is qualified to be elected as member to DUN,” she added.
Soo said there was no need for any member of august House to stir political drama.
She said what was more important was to resolve in a calm and civil manner any flawed and defective legislation befitting the status of the highest institution in Sarawak.
“YB Datuk Abdul Karim must go back to the drawing board and make an iron-clad amendment by using the correct vocabulary which will leave no room for ambiguity and loopholes,” she said.
