By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 4: Article 122AA of the Federal Constitution should also be reinstated, and the Governors of Sabah and Sarawak should regain their authority to appoint High Court judges for Sabah and Sarawak, said Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau.
He argued that the amendment, passed in the Dewan Rakyat in 1994, did not adhere to the provisions outlined in the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“According to the IGC and MA63, any amendments to the Federal Constitution related to Sabah and Sarawak must obtain the consent of both Bornean regional governments.
“However, the federal government at that time amended the provision without obtaining consent from Sabah and Sarawak. As a result, the status of the amendment remains in limbo today because it does not comply with MA63, particularly the IGC report,” he raised in a statement today.
Madius made these remarks while debating the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2025 during the Dewan Rakyat parliamentary session today.
For the record, the amendment to Article 122AA in 1994 removed the power of the Governors of Sabah and Sarawak to appoint High Court judges for the respective states.
Madius further noted that when he previously inquired about the status of constitutional amendments that did not meet MA63 requirements in the Dewan Rakyat, the former Minister of Law—who is now the Governor of Sarawak—suggested that the matter be referred to the courts.
“In Tuaran, we believe that any mistake made in this august House should be rectified within this House itself and not referred to the courts.
“Therefore, just as the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2025 aims to restore the Parliamentary Services Act to its original version, Article 122AA should also be reinstated to restore the rightful authority of the Governors of Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
He further expressed his full support for the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2025 and urged both opposition and government lawmakers to back the bill.
“This amendment to the Federal Constitution will allow the Parliamentary Services Act 1963, which was repealed in the 1992 amendment, to be restored to its original version.
“This is what I mean by correcting past mistakes—we must return to the original. Congratulations to the Madani government and the Unity government.
“However, this august House must be reminded that the constitutional amendment made in 1992 should not be repeated by future generations.
“I also propose that the Madani government intensify its efforts through high-impact programmes to enhance public awareness of the contents of the Federal Constitution,” Madius added. — DayakDaily
