KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen has been told to stop misleading the public on the failed Federal Constitution Amendment Bill 2019.
This rebuke came from the women’s chief of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Kho Teck Wan, who was not happy with Chong’s statement that a show-cause letter from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) did not mention the need to amend Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution.
She reminded Chong that the need to amend the definition of “Federation” in Article 160(2) was known all along by PH and GPS members of parliament.
“Chong himself mentioned that during the first tabling of the Bill, GPS MPs demanded that Article 160(2) should also be amended,” she recalled.
According to Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, “Federation” is defined as the one established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957.
According to Kho, many Sarawak legal experts, including GPS leaders, proposed that the definition be amended to “the Federation established under the Malaysia Agreement 1963”.
“Without the amendment, Sarawak and Sabah are considered two of the states in the Federation of Malaya,” she said.
SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting released a press statement on March 10 (the day after the Bill failed to pass in parliament), expressing the need to amend the definition of “Federation” in Article 160(2) together with Article 1(2).
On March 20, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii followed suit with a similar press statement expressing the need for the amendments.
Kho said she was at the parliament during the day of the second reading, and was puzzled as to why despite having many opportunities to speak, no PH MP spoke up on the need to amend Article 160(2) during the entire seven-hour debate.
“This showed that the PH MPs, especially from Bandar Kuching, knew all along about the need to amend Article 160(2), yet chose to stay silent and dared not question the Law Minister in their debates.
“If the Bill had passed on April 9, it would have further affirmed Sarawak as one of the 13 states in the Federation of Malaya. Sarawak would not be in any better position than she currently is,” said Kho.
Nonetheless, GPS would continue to fight for Sarawak to be restored as an equal partner of Malaya.
Kho reminded Sarawakians that amending the constitution was a serious matter that should not be rushed and taken lightly by any party.
“Any amendment to it impacting Sarawak’s financial resources and special allocations should also be referred to the Sarawak State Assembly,” she stressed, adding that many Sarawakians nowadays are interested in learning about the contents of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, IGC Reports and Federal Constitution.
“Sarawakians are now more aware of our rights compared to the people of 1976. The late chief minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem led us in the journey of devolution of power since 2015.
“Sarawak also has more professionals now, and is much stronger in her financial position than in 1976. Any move to mislead the public will not pass the sharp eyes of Sarawakians easily,” she said.
