KUCHING, Dec 21: N10 Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong claims that the passing of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill would not have been realised if Pakatan Harapan (PH) government did not come to power in 2018.
She said the proposed amendments that allow eroded Sarawak rights to be restored, had shown that the people’s votes for change of government in the 2018 General Election were not in vain even though PH was later overthrown after 22 months.
“The amendments were part of the PH Manifesto in the 14th General Election (GE14) and PH had done its utmost to fulfil it all. Without your vote and support in 2018, the change in government at that time would not have happened and this amendment (Bill) would not have been realised,” she said in a statement today.
Yong explained that during PH’s tenure as the Federal government, it had initiated the amendments through a special committee.
Despite being overthrown, she said the determination of PH and the people had a ‘snowball effect’ which later pressured the next Federal government to push for the passing of the Amendment Bill.
She also pointed out that another important factor that contributed towards the passing of the Amendment is the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that PH signed with the current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri which had set the passing of the Amendment as a pre-condition for PH not to try to destabilise the current government after the PM was instated.
“A huge bitter victory for all Sarawakians and Sabahans when this Amendment was passed in Parliament not because it is not important but due to the fact that we have to fight for it for so long when it is actually our constitutional right in the first place,” she said.
Yong further said the Bill’s passing is just the beginning of an arduous journey and these amendments needed to be translated into policies and implementation procedures.
“In the coming days and months, we pledge to all Sarawakians that we will not rest on our laurels but will work tirelessly ensuring both Federal and State governments take the necessary steps to have the policies revised and amended according to the Constitutional Amendment.
“I urge all Sarawakians to pay extra attention to the coming changes that are implemented from the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) amendments and together we can make a better Sarawak and Malaysia,” she emphasised. — DayakDaily
