Three more assemblymen spoke in support of the motion to amend the Federal Constitution introduced by Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Assistant Minister Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
Datuk Sri Huang Tiong Sii, Repok assemblyman, said the firmness of the approach this time had the support and blessing of every Sarawakian as the issue involved the rights and future of Sarawak.
“The future of our young generations and Sarawak are in our hands today. We must defend our rights and fight to secure the state’s brilliant and glorious future,” he said.
Said Huang, “There is no denial that the fight for Sarawak’s rights was started by the late Tok Nan but the fight does not stop here and it will not stop any time soon.”
Tampin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang said once it was passed in the August House, the motion was a milestone for the people of Sarawak in terms of the state’s sovereignty status and rights according to the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“The formation of the Federation of Malaysia did not and cannot take away these rights of Sarawak. The UK Parliament’s Malaysia Act 1963 (Chapter 35) conferred on Sarawak the right to its own Constitution prior to the formation of Malaysia,” he said.
Gira added that the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA 1974) enforced under the emergency law had taken away Sarawak’s oil and gas resources.
“Hence, by right this law should be lifted as the country is no longer under a state of emergency.
“Clearly, this is in breach of MA63 and therefore, null and void. In this instance, Sarawak has a political obligation to move a motion in parliament to repeal PDA 1974 because the Act had been used illegally to take away our crude oil,” he explained.
Gira added that Sarawak and Sabah had lost much as the Federal Parliament had passed laws without the consent of the State Legislative members to illegally take the state’s power and take the oil and gas through PDA and reduced Sarawak’s territorial seas from 12 nautical miles to three nautical miles through the Territorial Sea Act.
He said, “The motion to amend the Federal Constitution will give Sabah and Sarawak two components of the Federation instead of one and it will restore the autonomy over our oil and gas resources, financial grants, equal development projects and many more, in particular those agreed upon as contained in MA63, Cobbold Commission, IGC and Malaysia Act 1963 (Chapter 35).”
Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, who seconded the motion, added that it was their duty as legislators and elected representatives of the people to ensure that amendments to the Federal Constitution are made to prevent further encroachment on the special constitutional rights and safeguards provided or promised to Sarawak under MA63 to secure the state’s agreement to join the formation of Malaysia.
“Therefore, this motion is to settle once and for all, what are the requisites or essential amendments to the Federal Constitution to meet the aspirations of Sarawakians as expressed by the motion now before this August House.
“I sincerely hope the opposition members will also support the motion to put an end to any more unproductive and divisive debates on what are the amendments to the Federal Constitution that should be sought by Sarawak,” he said.
