KUCHING, April 10: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian opined that the failure of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to secure a two-thirds majority to pass the Bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution yesterday was due to their own folly.
Dr Sim, who is also Local Government and Housing Minister, said Sarawak PH chief Chong Chieng Jen, instead of voicing out Sarawak’s aspiration to the Federal Government, pushed Sarawak to accept the amendment.
“The failure of the PH government to obtain a two-thirds majority in Parliament is due to their own folly in turning a deaf ear to our demands to also amend the definition of “the Federation” to mean the Federation of Malaysia established under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), not a Federation under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957,” he said in a statement today.
On this point, he said the PH Sarawak MPs, under the leadership of Chong, were a huge letdown to Sarawakians, for they continued to push Sarawak to agree to `cosmetic changes’ and never bothered to press their Malayan leaders to make the necessary changes.
“Chong, as a Sarawakian representative in the Cabinet steering committee on MA63, hadn’t been playing a relevant and effective role in presenting Sarawakians’ true aspirations in the said committee. Instead, he was seen by many as a hardworking salesman for his Malayan masters.”
He said it was time for Sarawakians to decide on their own destiny.
“As I stressed before, it is time for Sarawakians to decide our fate as this is the most valid and democratic way to ascertain our people’s aspirations.”
He said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)’s stand was not to oppose the amendment bill but to demand a complete package of amendments (including Article 1(2) and Article 160) so as to restore Sarawak’s equal partner status in form and in substance.
“Since we are meant to come together to right the wrong made in the past, there is no reason why we can’t iron out all the issues (a third of parliamentary seats, a third of national resources & revenue) once and for all before we are hurried into passing any amendments to the constitution,” said Dr Sim. — DayakDaily
