KUCHING: Sarawak wants the Federal Constitution to state that Malaysia is a federation formed pursuant to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Sarawak’s Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Assistant Minister Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said it is wrong to have it defined in Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution as “the Federation established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957”.
“No Sarawakian would like to be in a federation formed under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957, and be considered as a part of the Malayan Federation,” The Borneo Post quoted her saying when tabling the motion in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) yesterday.
“This had never been the aspirations of our forefathers who signed MA63 to pave the way for the birth of Malaysia. This amendment is as important, if not more important, than the federal government’s attempt to restore Article 1(2) to its original form but still, we are in the Federation of Malaya.”
The motion, which was moved pursuant to Standing Order 23(1)(a), seeks to secure a comprehensive amendment to the Federal Constitution, so as to restore the status of Sarawak as a partner equal to the Federation of Malaya when MA63 was agreed and entered into; provide that the federation ordinarily referred to is one that is established under MA63 and not under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957; and safeguard the legislative and executive powers of Sarawak, the sources of revenues and special grants assigned to Sarawak and her financial autonomy.
Sharifah Hasidah said any amendment must not result in the erosion of the legislative and executive powers of Sarawak or removal of any of the safeguards for the special interests of Sarawak provided under MA63, and should provide Sarawak with additional protections against any encroachment onto the constitutional safeguards by the federal government.
Apart from the recognition to MA63, the Semariang assemblywoman said the various races forming the ethnic population of Sarawak should also be properly defined.
She noted that in its current form, the ethnic groups of Sarawak are not comprehensively defined, and proposed that this list be reviewed to ensure it covers all of them.
Her ministerial motion was unanimously approved by the august House last night.
A total of 47 elected representatives, including the opposition, took part in the debate of the motion which started about 3pm.
