KUCHING, Nov 12: SUPP president Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian explained that the new Sarawak Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2020 is to safeguard the Sarawak Constitution and Sarawakians.
According to Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Local Government and Housing, the purpose of the bill is actually to “tighten up”, so that the Sarawak Constitution will be in the hands of Sarawakians forever, instead of “loosening” it as what others have claimed.
“For the first time, (under the Sarawak Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2020) Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) will forever be for the people from Sarawak. The representatives and the administration of Sarawak will be in the hands of Sarawakians,” he said during a press conference at the DUN media room here today.
He revealed that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) realised that there were anomalies in the original proposed amendment which was tabled on Tuesday (Nov 10), when tabling the bill, and instead of bulldozing the bill, they clarified it to make it less ambiguous, once and for all.
He pointed out that in order to be recognised as a resident of Sarawak, an individual must first be a Malaysian citizen, and in order to be a Malaysian citizen, they must be born in Sarawak and also a resident in Sarawak.
“For GPS and SUPP, we just want to share with the people of Sarawak that after 51 years, we always fight for the people of Sarawak and we are still here to fight for them. We never changed our mission,” he added.
At the same time, Dr Sim also expressed his disappointment that certain people lacked the solidarity to support the bill, and at the same time, continue to twist and spin the matter.
“That is why I am very sad that this morning, in the spirit of Sarawakian (sic), the people of Sarawak should come together in term of solidarity, but we don’t get that,” said Dr Sim.
“I also appeal to all Sarawakians to stay united in solidarity, and not oppose just for the sake of opposing, as this matter involves the future of Sarawak.
Today, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzan presented a revised version of the amendment to Article 16 of the Sarawak Constitution to the DUN, which was passed. — DayakDaily
