KUCHING, April 3: SUPP has called on all political parties to clearly declare their stand on the amendment to Article 160 of the Federal Constitution that would redefine the interpretation of the Federation of Malaysia in line with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) in their respective electoral manifestos.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said this was necessary, considering the proposed amendment could not be delivered by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government at present without the collective support of the majority of Members of Parliament (MPs).
“We therefore sincerely urge all parties to join this effort for the sake of Sarawak’s interests to make known their positions and their stands clearly on the proposed amendment, including that Sarawak is not a state but a ‘wilayah’ (region), via their electoral manifestos to confirm whether they agree on the matter or otherwise.
“As for those intending to contest in Sarawak, the parties and individual candidates should do the same. They have to pledge to fellow Sarawakians, tell our people what are they going to atone for in case of any possible breach of trust later.
“To Sarawak especially, such assurance from electoral pledges is important in view that too many election promises had been breached by political parties and their candidates in recent years,” he said in a statement today.
Citing Pakatan Harapan (PH) as “infamous” for treating their pledges made to Sarawak with “the most handsome but void blank cheque”, including promises related to MA63, Dr Sim criticised them for making empty promises in their election campaigns.
He opined further that they had neglected Sarawak’s interests during their stint in the Federal government.
Referring to the failed constitutional amendment bill proposed in April 2019 by the previous PH government which did not touch on or mention MA63, he reiterated that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had refused to support the bill as Sarawak wanted “something more substantive, solid and founded on the spirit of MA63”.
“Since PH did not correct the mistake made in the 1976 constitutional amendment, MPs of GPS refused to support the bill (but the) PH federal government then did not accept GPS’ counter-proposal, so the situation ended in a deadlock.
“The farce was more to score political points for PH. It discarded the spirit of MA63, therefore the bill failed,” he added.
Dr Sim, who is also Minister for Local Government and Housing, was responding to the latest development surrounding MA63 following high-level talks between the Sarawak and Federal governments during Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s two-day visit to Sarawak which ended yesterday (April 2).
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government had once again brought up to the fore the proposal to amend Article 160 to redefine the interpretation of “Federation” to be in line with MA63 instead of the current Federation established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957 (MA57) so as to revert Sarawak and Sabah back to its rightful position as the founding partners of Malaysia.
In welcoming all of Muhyiddin’s announcements and assurances including acknowledging Sarawak as a region, Dr Sim said that this marked a meaningful and significant step towards achieving the constitutional status of Sarawak as one of the three regions in Malaysia as enshrined in MA63.
“It is like a light at the end of the tunnel yet it merely signifies a turning point, a new beginning of our journey to resolve the many long-standing issues on MA63 with the Federal government.
“To pursue our mission until the end, we need our beloved Sarawakians to stand together and be prepared for the arduous journey. We should not forget our Sarawak roots,” he said.
“We will never forget our roots because our roots remind us of the Sarawakians, families, relationships and friends who have helped us all along the way and will always be there for all of us.
“Our roots of Sarawak are what is supporting us and make us stronger. They hold us up,” he said in echoing Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari’s message conveyed to the Federal government that Sarawakians are best able to take care of the State’s own interests. — DayakDaily
