KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has demanded that the proposed amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution be withdrawn.
Describing the Bill by the PH government as “totally unacceptable to the state”, SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said its contents are against the wishes of the people of Sarawak.
Dr Sim pointed out that the proposed amendment does not make Sarawak one of the three equal partner states of the Federation of Malaysia.
He said on the contrary, the amendment still maintains Sarawak as one of Malaysia’s 13 states, which is an abrogation of its status before the formation of the federation in 1963.
“As such we (SUPP) view the Bill as another of the Pakatan Harapan government’s failure to honour the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“In fact, PH has just committed another “U- turn” on their election promise to return Sabah and Sarawak’s status accorded in the MA63.
“Why bother to table an amendment Bill whereby the return of Sarawak’s autonomy in healthcare and education as promised by the PH is nowhere to be found?
“Where is the amendment to Article 160 to make Malaysia a federation under the MA63, instead of the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957?” he asked.
Dr Sim also queried Sarawak’s substantial entitlement to a third of the national resources and a third representation in the House of Representatives in the proposed Bill.
“With such a disappointing amendment tabled by the PH government, we verily believe that the status of our state should be decided by our people in Sarawak and not in the Parliament,” he stressed.
