By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, May 19: Some claims made by Sarawak pertaining to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) will take quite some time as they require amendments to the Federal Constitution and laws.
Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Office (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said the Federal government has made amendments to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution, which came into effect on Feb 11, 2022.
This amendment, she explained, has restored the status of Sabah and Sarawak as before the amendment to the Federal Constitution was made in 1976, which placed Sarawak as one of the provisions with other states.
“We actually aim to resolve all our claims (on Sarawak rights) as soon as possible. However, there are demands that require amendments to the constitution and laws and this will inevitably take quite some time.
“For claims involving administration, they have already been settled in a short period of time,” she said in response to Mohamad Chee Kadir (PBB-Kabong) during question time in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Hasidah further assured that the State government will continue to increase its efforts to restore the State rights and demands even if it takes a long time.
The latest efforts include the passing of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2022 on Feb 15, 2022 which contains a clause to change the designation of ‘Chief Minister’ to ‘Premier’.
“The amendment has elevated the status of Sarawak by placing Sarawak in a different position from other States in Malaysia,” she added. — DayakDaily
