Minister: Federal govt lacks sincerity in restoring status of Sarawak, Sabah
KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah feels that the federal government lacks sincerity when it comes to restoring the status of Sarawak and Sabah.
He expresses his disappointment over the Bill seeking to amend Clause ( 2) of Article 1 of the Federal Constitution, regarding it as ‘ unacceptable and totally ridiculous’ for such Bill to be presented to the MPs at the 11th hour.
“The MPs were not given enough time to study the Bill.
“Anything that af fects the rights of Sabah or the rights Sarawak, it must be referred to the states.
“We would want it ( the Bill) to be looked into through the select committee and of course, we would want it to be deferred at the moment,” he pointed out to reporters during the announcement of tickets for the Rainforest World Music Festival ( RWMF) 2019 and Borneo Jazz Festival 2019 at a shopping mall here yesterday.
Adding on, Abdul Karim believed that the Bill should be referred back to the affected states and allow the respective state attorneys-general and state legislative assemblies ( DUNs) to debate whether or not the Bill had been drafted according to the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63).
Asked about the probability of the Bi l l being passed in Parliament, Abdul Karim opined that it ‘would probably not’, adding that it should be referred back to the MA63 Steering Committee and the Parliament.
“If the Bill had been discussed properly, who would want to object it? The thing is to discuss it properly with us. This is one very important piece of legislation. The core, something that is related to the formation of Malaysia and here, we are being treated this way.”
Abdul Karim reminded all that the signatories to MA63 consisted of the government of the United Kingdom, the federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore.
Citing example in DUN Sarawak, he said whatever new Bill or amendment Bills would always be given to each assemblyperson two weeks in advance.
On the financial aspect, Abdul Karim said there should also be a progressive development fund from the federal government as that was the reason the Sarawak government had agreed to the fivepercent oil royalty back in 1974.
He pointed out that the federal government should channel back some of the 95 per cent of the royalties to the Sarawak government progressively.
In this respect, he stressed that all politicians, from all political divides, should be united when it comes to safeguarding the interests of Sarawak.
He urged the Sarawak- based politicians from Pakatan Harapan ( PH), especially those currently holding portfolios in the federal cabinet, to speak up and defend the interest of Sarawak.
“Be brave enough to speak up. Don’t chicken out when you are in the cabinet. Say it out. “There is nothing to lose,” he said.