Minister: Amended definition of ‘native’ must satisfy conditions, requirements before it can be gazetted
THE gazettement of the amendment to the definition of ‘native’ can only be done once the conditions and the requirements have been met, says Minister in Premier of Sarawak’s Department Datuk John Sikie Tayai.
According to him, the government is in the midst of finalising the conditions and requirements as well as the procedures involved in the application for the recognition as ‘a native of Sarawak’.
“Such conditions, requirements and procedures are expected to be tabled in the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (State Executive Council) the soonest,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech.
Sikie’s statement was made in response to Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, who called upon the minister-incharge to explain the delay in gazetting the amendment to the definition of ‘native’.
Baru, during the State Budget 2023 debate speech in the august House on Nov 24, said despite the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill 2022 having been unanimously passed at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), many people were still encountering obstacles in handling land transfers and other related matters – with the reason behind this was that the amendment had not been gazetted yet.
He pointed out that the Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, Malaysia Agreement 1963 and State-Federal Relations) had, in February, said that the amendment was ‘timely and necessary’ to give effect to the 2021 amendment to the Federal Constitution, adding that the gazetting would be implemented by the state government through the State Secretary ‘within two weeks’ after passing of the Bill in the august House.
“A very close relative last month faced a problem in the transfer of a native land status to him; the reason, according to the land office, was that this law had not been gazetted yet.
“I would like to ask the minister-in-charge the reason for the delay in gazetting the amendment, and to expedite the gazetting so that the amendment to the Federal Constitution could be made effectively without further delay,” said Baru.