Inclusion of “Pursuant to Malaysia Agreement 1963” in the proposed amendment of Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution defines with clarity the equal status of Sarawak in the Federation of Malaysia.
This was emphasised by Datuk Henry Harry Jinep (GPS-Tasik Biru) when debating in support of the motion to amend the Federal Constitution.
Touching on the proposed Bill amendment of the Federal Constitution by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government during the Parliament sitting earlier in April, Henry said that changing back to pre-76 words did not guarantee the restoration of Sarawak’s equal status.
“Such change can be manipulated and misinterpreted,” he pointed out.
“On cursory read, it may appear that Sarawak is of equal status but in reality, it is not. It is not surprising therefore that when the Bill came for voting, only 138 voted for the amendment while 59 abstained. The Bill failed.”
Henry further stated that it was pertinent that MA63 be given its due recognition and included in the Federal Constitution, which is the supreme law of Malaysia.
“The construction of Article 1(2) must be done in good faith, devoid of trickery and free from ambiguities to prevent future misinterpretation and misunderstanding,” he concluded.
