KUCHING, Jan 31: Sabah activist Zainnal Ajamain is missing the point in the essence of the constitution amendment to restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with Peninsular Malaysia.
Muara Tuang assemblyman Datuk Idris Buang said Zainnal overlooked the importance of throwing out any ambiguity found in the original Malaysia Agreement in 1963 (MA63), as well as the 1976 amended version, if such a phrase “pursuant to Malaysia Agreement 1963” was not inserted.
“What he says in the video is only a half right, half wrong view,” he said in a statement.
Idris was commenting on Zainnal’s statement, which rebutted the views of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) leaders, as well as the latter’s comment over the upcoming new bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution in a YouTube video uploaded on Jan 29.
The PBB information chief pointed out that the flaws in Zainnal’s argument cannot be supported to suit Sarawak’s interest appertaining the spirit of the seminal and formative documents such as MA63, Inter Governmental Committee (IGC) Report and so forth that made the Federation of Malaysia.
Idris reiterated Sarawak’s stand for a more comprehensive amendment to the Federal Constitution by acknowledging MA63 including the interpretation of the Federation, as well as safeguarding the legislative and executive powers of Sarawak, sources of revenues, special grants and financial autonomy.
“We must insist on what was passed by the State Legislative Assembly via a motion tabled by de-facto Law Minister Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali last year.
“We just stick to our guns and insist on the insertion of, inter alia, the words ‘Sabah and Sarawak pursuant to MA63’ to their proposal on Article 1(2), and also to Article 160(2) on the definition of ‘The Federation’,” he added.
Zainnal said the new bill to be tabled in Parliament to restore Sabah and Sarawak’s original equal status must learn the lesson from the defeated bill in April 2019.
He emphasised on the importance of amending Article 1(3), which outlined the Territories of each of the States that formed Malaysia that has included the Federal Territory (FT), which was not even formed in 1963.
“Article 1(3) also breached the Malaysia Constitution because FT was not the founding member of Malaysia and that FT cannot be a ‘state’ of the Federation.
“The Federal Constitution has no power to create or change the name of the state but it can admit state or change the boundary of a state. So how can the Parliament has the power to include FT as a founding member of Malaysia,” he questioned.
Zainnal said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders should insist on amending Article 1(3), instead of the definition of “The Federation” or the insertion of “In Pursuant to MA63”.
“The definition of ‘The Federation’ did not appear in Annex A or MA63. The addition of ‘In Pursuant to MA63’ is frivolous (irrelevant),” he said.
Zainnal, in his rebuttal video, took swipe at GPS leaders who have disagreed with his views over the amendment of Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution.
The leaders included PBB vice president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Santubong MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Batang Sadong MP Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. — DayakDaily
