KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing called upon Sarawak’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs to stand together and tell the federal government that it is unconstitutional to move the headquarters of the Registry of the High Court from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu without consulting the Chief Ministers of Sarawak and Sabah.
Citing Article 121(4) of the Federal Constitution which reads, “In determining where the principal registry of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak is to be, the Yang di Pertuan Agong shall act on advice of the Prime Minister, who shall consult the Chief Ministers of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the Chief Judge of the High Court,” Masing claimed that the federal government didn’t do as such.
“Here it seems Sarawak may have lost its rights to be consulted over this issue as mandatory required by the Federal Constitution,” he told New Sarawak Tribune when contacted recently.
On Saturday, the letter regarding the move following the federal government’s decision to transfer the headquarters of the Registry of the High Court of Sarawak and Sabah to Kota Kinabalu went viral on WhatsApp and to be effective on May 1.
