KUCHING, Dec 15: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy youth chief Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman said the passing of the Constitutional Amendment Bill related to Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) in Parliament yesterday reflects the commitment of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to defend Sarawak’s rights based on MA63, the Intergovermental Committee (IGC) Report 1962 and the Federal Constitution.
He hoped that more rights belonging to Sarawak which have been eroded can be restored in line with the amendment to Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution.
“This is a significant step because after this, the State government can demand for the rights that have been enshrined in MA63 and also those stated in the IGC Report 1962.
“The Sarawak government under GPS has formulated various initiatives in restoring Sarawak’s rights including introducing State Sales Tax (SST) and also being empowered in gas distribution based on the Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016 (DGO 2016).
“It has also regained control of oil mining and exploration in all the onshore areas of the State, now being carried out by Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros).
“All this has been implemented in the last five years, and the GPS government also has many more plans to demand for the restoration of eroded rights from the federal government,” he said in a press statement today.
Fazzrudin who is also the GPS candidate for the N06 Tupong seat in the 12th Sarawak Election also hoped that GPS will continue to receive undivided support from the people of Sarawak in defending Sarawak’s rights, thus helping to develop the State for the benefit of all.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill related to MA63 was passed with a two-third majority after its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun announced that 199 out of 222 Members of Parliament (MPs) supported the Bill, while 21 MPs were absent.
The Bill, tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Dato Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, sought to, among others, list Sarawak and Sabah in the Federal Constitution as equal partners in the Federation of Malaysia.
It proposed to amend Article 1 of the Constitution by replacing Clause 2 to say that the states of Federation comprises:
(a) the states of Malaya, namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor, Terengganu; and
(b) the Borneo states, namely Sabah and Sarawak.
It also sought to amend Clause 2 of Article 160 to insert a new definition of “Malaysia Day” and to change the definition of “the Federation” in line with the spirit of MA63 signed on July 9, 1963, and by virtue of the agreement relating to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia as an independent and sovereign state dated Aug 7, 1965.
The Bill also aimed to amend Article 161A by replacing Clause 6 (a) to say that in regard to Sarawak, the indigenous races of Sarawak are as stated in the State law; and also to remove Clause 7. — DayakDaily
