THE downpour in Kuching city this morning washed out the opening ceremony of the Sarawak legislative assembly on the parade grounds and worked like a police water cannon on a small but noisy gathering of pro-state rights group, Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S), on the waterfront across.

The 40 or so S4S members were there to show support for the Citizens Initiated Referendum bill that PKR Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How will table during the nine-day assembly sitting.

The storm drenched and dispersed the group waving banners, old Sarawak flags and wearing their signature black T-shirts.

“This is not a protest,” one of the S4S leaders, Peter John Jaban, said.

“Its a gathering to show our support for the citizens initiated referendum.”

See’s bill proposes to provide for Sarawakians to be able to initiate a referendum on all issues except those that encroach on the constitution, such as by calling for secession or independence.

See said a referendum like UK’s Brexit would never happen, even if his bill was passed.

He also said the bill was for “an indicative referendum”, meaning the outcome of the referendum is not binding on the government.

Currently, Malaysia has no legal ordinance regarding the holding of a referendum.

Under See’s proposal, any individual or a group can initiate a referendum petition which would then be presented to the state assembly.

If approved, the proposer then has six months to collect the signatures of at least 10% of Sarawak’s one million voting population to support the motion to call for a referendum.

S4S has said that the bill, if passed, would create another milestone for democracy in the state. – May 11, 2017.