KUCHING: The second reading of a Bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution saw substantive changes made to the wording to mirror the ones that existed prior to the changes made in 1976.
The changes were made following aggressive and adamant objections to the wording which some interpreted as tantamount to downgrading the status of Sabah and Sarawak.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad tabled the second reading yesterday with changes made to the original Bill tabled on April 4.
He pointed out that since his government received a mandate to rule after winning the 14th general election it has been attentive to the needs of the people, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak whose aspirations were contained in Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto. The government is now fulfilling the first part of its promise.
“Based on this promise, PH wants to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and based on the current legal landscape an amendment to the Federal Constitution is needed to fulfil the needs and wants of the people of Sabah and Sarawak,” said Dr Mahathir when tabling the Bill for its second reading yesterday.
He explained that the first step would be to amend Article 1 (2) of the Constitution, which will elevate Sabah and Sarawak to be on par with Malaya.
“A special Cabinet committee whose members are from the federal government, and the governments of Sabah and Sarawak have agreed to amend Article 1 (2) first.
“The committee is still dealing with matters involved in the implementation of the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under MA63. More amendments will come as agreements are made within the committee.
“Thus, the negotiations will continue until consensus and compromises can be reached and accepted by all parties,” said Dr Mahathir.
The proposed amendment seeks to list Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, and Terengganu as states of Malaya, while Sabah and Sarawak would be called the Borneo State, overall forming the States of the Federation.
