KUCHING: Members of Parliament (MPs) from Gabungan Parti Sarawak will support any move to amend Article 1 (2) of the Federal Constitution to make Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia three equal partners, according to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“Of course, we will express our support for this amendment, because it is something we have been waiting for the federal government to announce,” he said when met by reporters after the JWKS Entrepreneur Grant Ceremony 2019 held in conjunction with International Women’s Day celebration at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.
He said GPS will definitely support the amendment of Article 1 (2) of the Federal Constitution which will be tabled to the Parliament at a conference scheduled on March 11.
On Friday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Legal) Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the Cabinet agreed to amend Article 1 (2) of the Constitution to make Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia as partners.
He said the decision to amend the constitution was reached at the Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, and that the amendment will be tabled at the next Parliament session scheduled to begin on March 11.
“Pakatan Harapan (PH) has 135 MPs, including nine from Warisan and one from UPKO. To get two-thirds support, we need 148 MPs. But I firmly believe that all MPs in Sabah and Sarawak will give full support to make Sarawak and Sabah as two separate regions of Peninsular Malaysia, “he said.
“GPS’ MPs will surely support, it’s what we have always wanted,” Abang Johari reiterated.
As to other matters raised during the two-hour meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last Tuesday, the chief minister said he will leave it to the federal government to announce a matter pertaining to stamp duty revenue which was raised by both Sarawak and Sabah in relation to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Abang Johari said there are many matters being discussed, adding: “I mention the Stamp Act because the Prime Minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) also mentioned it.”
He said at the moment, stamp duty revenue goes to the federal coffer, whereas based on MA63, what is collected in Sarawak and Sabah should rightfully be retained by the two states.
The same also applies to the administration of land matters, which in Sarawak and Sabah is under their Land Code.
Abang Johari said there are things that cannot be decided during the meeting of the Steering Committee MA63. Rightly, therefore, they, like the Stamp Act 1949, should be referred to the Technical Committee.
“And there are also many other things which are still under discussion,” he added.
