KUCHING, March 4: Sarawak Patriot Association (SPA) today called upon the federal government to not only amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution but to include a few other amendments in the coming sitting of Parliament.
Its chairman, Datuk Lau Pang Heng, said Article 160 of the Federal Constitution should be amended to read: “The Federation of Malaysia” under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 instead of the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957, which he said did not reflect the constitutional status and reality of Malaysia.
He added that Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution should specify the territorial sea of Sabah and Sarawak to 12 nautical miles measured from baseline determined with Article 3 Part II of Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.
“For the Petroleum Development Act 1974, do insert this clause: ‘This act shall not be applicable to Sabah and Sarawak’,” he said in a statement today.
Lau also called for amending Article 46 on the composition of the house of representative so that Sabah and Sarawak have at least one-third representation in Parliament and to insert a clause in Article 46 that the number of members of parliament from Peninsular Malaysia should not be more than two-thirds.
“Currently, Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal territories have a total of 166 seats, which comprised 75 per cent of the total number of seats in Parliament.”
Lau also urged Putrajaya to restore the equal partnership of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia with equal distribution of budgets and financial allocations.
“Since the PH (Pakatan Harapan) federal government in their 14th general election manifesto had promised to give 20 per cent oil royalties to Sarawak, we ask that this be inserted in the Federal Constitution as well.” — DayakDaily
