State PKR wants Parliament reconvened to discuss status of Sabah, Sarawak

KUCHING: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak is urging the federal government to reconvene Parliament to discuss matters pertaining to Sabah and Sarawak to be known now as a region or territory each instead of a state.

In a statement, PKR Sarawak information chief Abun Sui Anyit said the matters should also be debated in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, after the change in status was announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“If the debates on the matters have not taken place in Parliament and the State Legislative Assembly yet, then the announcement by Muhyiddin seems not to be bringing any tangible benefits to the states of Sabah and Sarawak,” said Abun.

He added that Chief Minister

Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg seemed to have accepted the announcement by Muhyiddin at face value when no real benefits were attached to the change in status.

“Regardless, we would like to highlight the statement by our party president Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim for supporting the status of Sarawak was not the same as any other states in Peninsular Malaysia.” Abun remarked that Sabah and Sarawak were of ‘country’ status before and during the signing of the Malaysia

Agreement 1963 on July 9, 1963.

He also reminded that a total of 19 MPs from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) did not support the federal government’s bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore the rights of Sarawak as an equal partner.