High Court Registry move should not be at ‘whim and fancy’ – PSB

KUCHING: The decision to relocate the principal Registry of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu should not be carried out at anyone's ‘whim and fancy'.

This was pointed out yesterday by Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) secretary-general George Lo, who said he concurred with the statement issued by Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How on Saturday.

Lo said he is against the abrupt relocation given that the High Court Registry has been situated in Kuching since the formation of Malaysia.

"If there is any genuine need to relocate, this must be discussed between the stakeholders including the advocates association of Sarawak and Sabah, the state attorneys-general and the respective chief ministers.

"Such decision cannot be done at the whim and fancy of anyone because that would breach the Federal Constitution, as See has rightly pointed out," he said in a statement to The Borneo Post yesterday.

According to Lo, the relocation has huge symbolic importance in the aftermath of the rejection by the Sarawak government of the attempt to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution.

He reminded that Sabah had supported the failed amendment attempt while Sarawak did not.

"The Sarawak government must stand firm against the relocation because the decision is apparently arbitrary and was made without any consultation with the key stakeholders and without the consent of the Sarawak government as provided for in Article 121(4) of the Constitution.

"We simply cannot allow Sarawak's rights to be further eroded in breach of the constitution," stressed Lo.

He added that if the federal government did not reverse its decision, the Sarawak government must be prepared to challenge the matter in court.