KUCHING: The amendment to the Federal Constitution involving the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) stands out as a monumental achievement for the Sarawak Government, said Dr Arnold Puyok.
The Senior Lecturer in Politics and Government Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak highlighted that following the amendment, MA63 is now regarded as on par with other crucial documents.
This accomplishment, he asserted, is a testament to the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, who has remained steadfast in pursuing the wishes of the late Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem (Tok Nan).
“Before the amendment, MA63 lacked priority in our constitution. But now, it has been included as a result of the efforts of the leadership. MA63 now plays a strong and important role in the Federal Constitution.
“Looking at this success, we can say that this marks an opportune moment to witness the realisation of other initiatives that have not yet been implemented.”
He said these during an interview after paying a courtesy call on New Sarawak Tribune and Suara Sarawak CEO Dr Jeniri Amir at its office here on Friday (Nov 9).
Addressing the implications of achieving full equality for Sabah and Sarawak, Puyok opined that this equal partnership would reshape how we look at the federation.
“It will no longer be a federation between 13 states, but instead a federation of three different territories within Malaysia, namely Sabah, Sarawak and the Peninsular.”
Commenting further, he stressed the need for strategic planning to sustain development once Sarawak successfully fulfils the demands outlined in MA63 and Sarawak First.
He highlighted the advantage of Sarawak having a strong group of elites who are able to govern the way that politics is being run here.
“This strength can then be used to focus on developing the state.
“The expectation from the people are high because Sarawak has been ruled by the same leaders for many years. However, the majority of the people are less concerned about the duration of leadership and more focused on the delivery of results.”
For reference, the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2022 played a pivotal role in restoring Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners to Malaya in Malaysia, aligning with MA63.
The amendments included four changes, notably, Article 1(2) was amended to reinstate the definition of Sabah and Sarawak as constituent “territories” of Malaysia, while Article 160(2) formally defined Malaysia Day as the day when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation.
