MIRI: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) welcomes the announcement made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Legal Affairs Datuk Liew Vui Keong that the Federal Cabinet had agreed to table the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution in order to make Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia equal partners at the upcoming parliamentary session.
“But the party is cautiously optimistic because although we have seen many news articles about the announcement by Liew with regards to amending Article 1(2), we have yet to see anything that touches on the amendment of the definition of “the Federation” in Article 160 of the Federal Constitution,” said SUPP secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting in a press statement released today.
“The reason is this – presently the Federal Constitution defines Malaysia as a Federation established under the Malaya Agreement 1957,” he added.
Firstly, this was not correct right from the beginning because Sarawak was never involved in the formation of Malaya.
Secondly, this definition when read together with Article 1(2), gives the perception or implies that Sarawak and Sabah had joined a Federation called Malaya which later on was renamed as Malaysia instead of forming Malaysia as equal partners.
Added Ting, “We are of the opinion that Sarawak and Sabah would not be equal partners with Peninsular Malaya by just amending Article 1(2) without amending Article 160. They have to be amended together to give the effect. Therefore we hope Article 160 would also be tabled for amendment.
“Therefore, it is pertinent that the amendment Bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution must also include the amendment of the definition of “the Federation” in Article 160 so that the established Federation will be based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“At the same time, the people of Sarawak and Sabah would like to ask and know what constitutes as equal partners. Is it merely a change of status? Or it is with substance such as giving back our autonomy over our oil and gas resources, increasing financial grants to Sarawak, giving us equal development projects similar to the Peninsular and many more, in particular those agreed upon as contained in MA63, Cobbold Commission, Inter Governmental Committee Report and Malaysia Act 1963 (Chapter 35)?
“We need to be mindful and indeed we must not overlook the importance of pursuing the Federal government to increase the parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah.
“Sarawak and Sabah cannot depend on the current 56 Parliamentary seats (25.23 per cent of the total 222 parliamentary seats) to protect our constitutional rights in the Federal Constitution from being overridden by the Peninsular’s two-third majority,” said Ting.
“Without increasing the number of parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak to at least one-third of the total 222 seats, our rights in the Federal Constitution would always be at risk as the Peninsular can easily remove our rights in the Federal Constitution at will.
“SUPP firmly believes that it is a fair and reasonable request to increase the number of parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah since we are to be equal partners with Peninsular,” added the SUPP secretary general.
Sarawak with abundance of natural resources had contributed so much to the Federal government for the past 56 years. Therefore, it would be very wrong if the Federal government decides not to increase the number of parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah We want to have a louder voice in parliament so as to protect our interest as equal partners.”
Ting ended the press statement by saying “SUPP wishes all our 31 MPs from Sarawak, irrespective of political parties, a healthy and meaningful debate on the Federal Constitution Amendment Bill 2019, bearing in mind that the interest of Sarawak must always come first.”
