Sarawak urged to go back to before 1963 when state had control over security, defence
KUCHING: The Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA) wants Sarawak to reclaim from Putrajaya full autonomy over the state’s security and defence.
Its chairman Datuk Lau Pang Heng said Sarawak had full autonomy over security and defence matters prior to the formation of Malaysia.
“We are asking the MA63 Cabinet Committee to negotiate with the federal government for the return of security and defence authority,” he added.
SPA also urged the state government to reclaim its authority to issue birth certificates and passports, a power which it had prior to the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.
“This authority should remain solely in Sarawak so that children born in Sarawak without proper identification cards will have proper remedy whereby their citizenship issues and issuance of passports can be decided in Sarawak by Sarawakians,” he added.
Lau said heads of government departments and agencies should also be predominantly Sarawakians.
In the event the state did not have a qualified Sarawakian, he suggested that the state train and groom them to achieve the needed competency to serve as the respective heads of police, military and navy.
“Appointment of the various heads of departments in Sarawak should be consented to by the Sarawak chief minister and 35 percent of the heads of departments should be women and the rest, men,” he said.
Lau said only through these steps could Sarawak slowly gain gender equality on a 50:50 men-women ratio.
He felt the reclamation of autonomy for Sarawak had to be over a period, stressing a time frame of 12 months would be reasonable.
