Show commitment to return equal status, PH govt told

KUCHING: The Pakatan Harapan government has been urged to show seriousness and commitment in returning the equal status to Sarawak and Sabah instead of coming up with political rhetoric over the issue.

Santubong MP Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said like all Sarawakians, he supported wholly at the idea of reinstating the status of Sarawak by amending the Constitution or repealing the relevant laws.

He assured he is willing to assist in whatever ways he could.

“On the question of the two-third majority of the PH government in Parliament, the PH government could overcome the situation by having consultations and discussions with various groups of MPs because a great majority says that Sarawak and Sabah are entitled to get back whatever they have lost within the last 55 years.

“So, don’t make excuses again,” he said yesterday.

The former Minister of Natural Resources and Environment noted that Malaysia came into being in 1963, making her 55 years old today.

He claimed that over the years, the Federal government has made decisions based on its own “convenience and necesscity,” without due regard to the provision under the Federal Constitution and the requirement of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

He believed that when they enacted that law, they had no serious regards to the MA63 and even the Federal Constitution.

“Therefore, they just look at what the lawyer said, “the four corners of the law itself” rather than referring to the requirement of the Constitution the need to consult, negotiate, and the consent of the State like Sarawak and Sabah before the law is brought to Parliament.

“Once the law is tabled in Parliament, the government would make full use of the whip authority, lack of knowledge of the Member of Parliament in laws, and unavailability of research to advice the Member of Parliament.

“It becomes the exercise of the majority of numbers of Members of Parliament to get the passage of the law in both Houses,” he said.

Wan Junaidi said even if the members have legal background, without proper research and advice, they might not be able to grasp the implication of the laws in so far as an encroachment of the Rights of Sabah and Sarawak is concerned.

He said thus, they would debate on policy and details implication of the law per se without regards to the requirements of MA63, and the Constitution.