KUCHING, April 29: Muara Tuang assemblyman Datuk Idris Buang says that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) forms the pillars that holds up the Federal Constitution and its importance must be respected and acknowledged in the Federal Constitution.
“The MA63 referred to Malaysia Bill with the annexes, including the Constitutions of the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. This clearly shows that Iswardy didn’t read the agreement,” he said, rebutting an argument by Pro Reformist 98 Sarawak chairman Iswardy Morni in a debate yesterday.
The forum and debate titled ‘Should Sarawakians support the Amendment to Federal Constitution 1(2) Bill as tabled in Parliament on April 9, 2019, in light of Malaysia Agreement (MA63)?’ organised by DayakDaily at Kuching Civic Centre attracted a 700-strong crowd.
In all the Constitutions including the Malaysia Bill, Idris said the word ‘federation’ denoted Malaysia but it contradicted with Article 160 in which ‘federation’ was defined as Federation of Malaya.
“Which is stronger — the MA63 or the Federal Constitution? If the Federal Constitution is a house, but the pillars are MA63, which is stronger to strengthen (the house)? As such, the Federal Constitution must acknowledge (sic) to the needs in the MA63,” he elaborated.
Idris reiterated that this international agreement, referring to MA63 which was signed between five signatories namely the Governments of the Federation of Malaya, United Kingdom, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore, and all that were enshrined in it must be given attention and due measures must be taken.
“That’s why Article 8 stated that all IGC (Inter-Governmental Committee) recommendations and what has not been done must be done properly by the federal government and state governments of Sarawak and Sabah. To realise the needs in MA63 including the rights which had been eroded, must be corrected,” he said.
“So (if) you (Iswardy) are saying that Malaysia Bill has no amendment, you are wrong. You do not realise that MA63 is the strong pillars that hold the Federal Constitution,” he added.
Idris thus questioned that if MA63 was not respected, then why come together to form Malaysia?
“But we didn’t want it to be like this because we love Malaysia. We only ask that the MA63 be respected and recognised because this was something Tok Nan (the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem) had fought for with his life and (Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi) Abang Johari (Tun Openg) continued to pursue with all his will,” he concluded. — DayakDaily
