KUCHING, Dec 12: The Constitution Amendment for Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution restoring Sabah and Sarawak’s rightful status under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) tabled by Pakatan Harapan (PH) failed because Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) ganged up with Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (Pas) and United Malays National Organisation (Umno) to defeat it.
Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen said that the bill would have been passed two years ago in 2019 if not for Members of Parliament from those three parties purposely sabotaging the vote.
“In addition, it was also under PH that 17 out of 21 matters on the restoration of MA63 had been resolved by the Cabinet Committee on the Restoration of MA63,” he told reporters at a press conference here today.
Chong was responding to a statement made by Senior Work Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof on Dec 10 claiming that PH and DAP continue to ignore the 20-point agreement in MA63.
Regrettably, Chong noted, the PH government was toppled soon after and whatever progress that has been achieved within those 22 months was all lost.
“Now, we are back to square one with the disbandment of the Cabinet Committee and the formation of yet another Committee by the new Perikatan Nasional (PN) government,” he added.
Touching on the funds for dilapidated schools in Sarawak, Chong, who is also the DAP candidate for N9 Padungan in the 12th Sarawak State Election, said the federal government under PH also allocated RM1 billion to repair and upgrade more than 1,000 schools in rural Sarawak.
Apart from that, he continued, in less than two years, PH doubled Sarawak’s annual grant under Article 112D, with plans to quadruple it over five years.
“Additionally, PH increased Sarawak’s (share of) development expenditure to RM4.4 billion in 2020, 40 per cent more than what Barisan Nasional (BN) had given Sarawak.
“Furthermore, it was also under PH that the first ever East Malaysian Chief Justice was appointed, (Tun) Richard Malanjum. Without a doubt, PH has always been committed to amplifying the voice of Sabah and Sarawak and respecting them as equal partners in our nation,” he said. – DayakDaily.
