Govt to amend Federal Constitution to restore status of Sabah, S’wak – Liew

KUCHING: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the government will amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with Peninsular Malaysia.

“As the continuation of Prime Minister’s speech on Sept 16, 2018, in Kota Kinabalu, I am pleased to announce that the government will amend Article 1(2) to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as before the amendment made in 1976,” Liew said at a dinner here last night in conjunction with his official visit to Sarawak.

In his speech in Kota Kinabalu, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced that the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with Peninsular Malaysia would be restored.

“In other words, Sabah and Sarawak will get their status back as defined under Article 4 of the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said.

Liew said all matters and outstanding issues on Sabah and Sarawak cannot be solved merely by having the Cabinet Committee and the prime minister’s announcement.

The minister also expressed hope that all Malaysians would remain united in amending Article 1(2) and rectify the injustices suffered by Sabah and Sarawak for the past three decades.

“Let’s all be part of this history and together we shall strive for a new hope and better Malaysia,” he said, adding that when he first started his duty as the minister in charge of law, he was committed to giving his 100 percent effort to fulfill the law reform agenda, as well as matters pertaining to Sabah and Sarawak as specifically mentioned in the fourth core of the Pakatan Harapan manifesto.

He said the Institutional Reforms Committee (IRC) had made several recommendations to reform the institutions in this country including the judiciary.

“It includes the proposal to set up a new Judicial Appointments Commission in which the government decided to follow this recommendation and appoint four new members of the commission with the appointments of three former Court of Appeal judges and constitutional law expert.

“I strongly believe that the reform in judiciary shall include the change of retirement age of the judges as well,” he said.

Liew said in countries such as Australia and United Kingdom, judges retire at the age of 70 and that there was a proposal in Australia that judges shall retire at the age of 80 provided they pass a medical test.

He said even the Supreme Court Judge of India, Justice Kurian Joseph, had recently urged the Indian government to rise the retirement age of Judges to 70.

“This is a global issue which shall be taken into great consideration by the government. - Bernama