Dr M to table bill on Sabah, Sarawak’s constitutional positions
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to table a bill to amend Clause 2 of Article 1 of the Federal Constitution, which currently defines Sabah’s and Sarawak’s positions as states.
The bill seeks to specify all the constituent states of the Federation by restoring, with modifications, the position of Clause 2 of Article 1 of the Federal Constitution during the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong had tabled the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 for first reading last week.
Dr Mahathir will table it for a second reading at 2.30pm today.
The bill is expected to be put up for vote after the tabling.
If successful, the amendment will pave the way for the redefinition of Sabah’s and Sarawak’s positions as regional territories allowing greater autonomy over their respective administration, on a par with Peninsular Malaysia.
However, with the current composition of legislators and protests by those from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) and Barisan Nasional, the government will face an uphill task in garnering a two-thirds majority from the house.
The amendment will require at least 148 votes from 222 federal lawmakers.
Up to now, the ruling Pakatan Harapan has 129 members of parliament (MPs), its allies from Parti Warisan Sabah and United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation, 10 MPs.
BN has 40 MPs, Pas (18), GPS (18), GBS (three), United Sarawak Party (one), and independents (three).
The Sandakan parliamentary seat is currently vacant.
“It remains to be seen if the amendment can take place.
“It is not easy to garner a twothirds majority with the current composition,” said a government backbencher who declined to be named, when met outside the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.
Liew said the government would likely tweak the bill to include several words and sentences, including “Borneo” and “pursuant to the agreement.”
He said only then it could be possible for the bill to be supported by the opposition.
“I think they will support it if we add the few words requested by them. The government will consider adding these words.”
Last week, GPS, GBS and BN MPs caused a stir during the first reading of the bill by Liew, and demanded that it be scrutinised by the Select Committee.
The opposition argued that that the bill was far from holistic in reference to the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and that the amendment was merely cosmetic.
Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof told the opposition that a written request for the bill to be scrutinised by the Select Committee should be submitted.
BN’s Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin then replied that Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar would do so during the ongoing session.
It has yet to be ascertained if the bill would indeed be forwarded to the Select Committee.
Earlier in the Dewan Rakyat, the government said it was proposing an “urban renewal law”, which could see old buildings redeveloped without the consent of all unit owners of a particular building.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said: “This is a problem (pertaining to old, decrepit buildings) faced by Malaysia and other countries. We will deal with it with the law we are planning to introduce.”
Khalid was responding to a question by Fong Kui Lun (PHBukit Bintang).
“(For example), Singapore requires only 90 per cent of the owners for redevelopment of buildings less than 10 years old.
“In Malaysia, you need to get 100 per cent of them onboard.
“We will see if we can lower the agreement rate for buildings (built) 20 to 30 years ago.”