By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 18: Sarawak wants to revert the name of the High Court of Sarawak and Sabah to the High Court of Borneo, as stated in Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) Report.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said under MA63 and the IGC Report, there were two concurrent courts of superior jurisdiction namely the High Court of Malaya and the High Court of Borneo.
“However, there is no more High Court of Borneo. It was renamed as High Court of Sabah and Sarawak.
“So we will have to have a look (into this matter) because according to the present arrangement, the lawyers from the peninsula cannot practise law in Sabah or Sarawak. They have to be admitted to our local bar (beforehand). So this arrangement has to be retained.
“At the same time, we will look at matters concerning High Court of Borneo and High Court of Malaya which are quite important in terms of law and the Constitution that will be discussed in the future,” he told the press after chairing the respective Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Supreme Council and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Supreme Council meetings at PBB headquarters here today.
Abang Johari who is the GPS chairman and PBB president said this is part of three major matters which have yet to be finalised in Sarawak’s fight to reclaim her rights under MA63.
The other two matters are related to special grants for Sabah and Sarawak under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution and the need for technical departments such as Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB), Sarawak Public Works Department (PWD) and Sarawak Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID), to be recognised and given authority to implement federal projects in Sarawak.
“There are other administrative issues need to be discussed but the core, which is the recognition of MA63 and its annexure of IGC (Report), is already there. We will be placing our request based within that parameters of our IGC (Report) and MA63,” he added. — DayakDaily
