KUCHING, April 9: Defer amending Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution and allow the Select Committee to work on the details.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan said this when commenting on the second reading of the proposed Bill by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.
“Reading the book at the cover only will make us forgo the contents and ‘spices’ of the book.
“The crux of the issues lies on how the contents of the social contract are ratified, backdated, and previous loss to Sarawak and Sabah reinstated and made good, politically, socially and economically,” he said in a statement today.
Snowdan, who is also Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports-cum-Balai Ringin assemblyman, opined that Sarawak and Sabah wished to see these ratifications come true and not be just mere “paper amendment”.
“For this amendment to be truly effective, the clause depicting the ‘Spirit of MA63’ must be narrated, for that is the basis of the constitution itself then.
“Moreover, for Sarawak and Sabah, their DUN (state legislatures) should be consulted on the affairs affecting their states,” he suggested.
He elaborated that the fundamentals of the social contracts needed to be materialised or realised and would be better to be backdated.
“For example, issues on the Continental Shelf, which was overridden by the Emergency Ordinance way back to 1969 had sourced out oil and gas rights of Sarawak and Sabah to the federal (government).
“These overrides or breaches need to be ratified as well,” he said.
Snowdan, who is in Parliament today following the proceedings, said he agreed with Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Wan Jaafar that this amendment should have entailed the details first prior to the ‘frame’.
“Work on the mechanisms, the substance then develop the ‘form’,” he opined. — DayakDaily
