By DD Team
KUCHING, Nov 19: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah believes that both Malaya-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and local-based Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB)’s objections to the Constitution of State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill, 2020 show that they have an ulterior motive.
He said if they had no such ulterior motive, they would have supported the bill when it was re-tabled on Nov 12 during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting.
Abdul Karim believed that the ulterior motive seemingly indicates that both opposition parties would allow non-Sarawakians to contest in the coming 12th Sarawak State Election (PRN12).
“When they opposed this bill, the way I see it, they want it to be opened to outsiders. That’s how I read it as a politician.
“Otherwise, they wouldn’t have objected to it (bill) because in spirit, how it has been drafted is to stop outsiders, West Malaysians and Sabahans from contesting and sitting in our state assembly,” Abdul Karim told Dayakdaily here today.
When asked why he thought DAP which is Malaya-based and PSB which is based here have the same intention of objecting to the bill, Abdul Karim said “in the amendment to this bill, they are together because they are the one to come up with the ‘Leila and Putri’ story”.
Meanwhile, senior lawyer Shankar Ram Asnani who is a third-generation Indian with roots from northern India stated that Article 16(2) read with the Explanatory Statements (i) and (ii) clearly shows the intent of the State Legislature in requiring ancestral link and by Article 6(4), a person who acquires citizenship by naturalisation cannot be appointed as a Chief Minister.
Shankar also stressed that the various articles of a Constitution must be read harmoniously.
He added that this amended bill would strengthen the exclusivity of the DUN membership for Sarawak-born who have ancestral roots. — DayakDaily
