We need majority in Parliament before we can restore Sabah, Sarawak rights, says PM

Jason Santos Jason Santos Updated 7 years ago · Published on 17 Sep 2018 12:34PM · 5 Comments

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaking in Kota Kinabalu today. With him is Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal. – The Malaysian Insight pic, September 17, 2018.

AMENDMENTS to the Federal Constitution to reflect terms embodied in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) needs majority support in Parliament first, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

While Putrajaya had vowed to restore the rights of the East Malaysian states, Dr Mahathir said the process would not be easy as the Pakatan Harapan government does not have full control of Parliament at present. 

“We will find out whether we can go to Parliament or not… when we talk about making the changes, they will say some things and find ways to tell others not to support the move and then we have a problem.

“At the moment, we don’t have the two-thirds majority needed to change the Constitution, so we have to figure out how we can achieve two-thirds majority.

“For example, the plan to abolish the Anti-Fake News Act, we thought initially, they would support us, but when it went to the Senate, where we don’t have the majority, we lost,” he said after meeting Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal and members of the latter’s cabinet this morning.

Last night in his Malaysia Day address, Dr Mahathir said Putrajaya planned to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners, as stated during the formation of Malaysia 55 years ago.

He also said Putrajaya vowed to keep its promise to restore and return the Borneo states their special rights and terms on revenue-sharing.

Dr Mahathir said there was no rush to realise all the terms now and that proper studies must be undertaken to identify which parts of the Constitution needed to be changed.

He said other laws also needed to be looked into avoid future complications.

On raising the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the federation of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir said certain things decided upon in Putrajaya were undertaken by leaders unfamiliar with the situation in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Either we have more Sabahans and Sarawakians working in the peninsula and in the federal government or we have some of the decision-making (processes) transferred to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. – September 17, 2018.

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Comments

  • Tajuddin, Lokman, Annuar, Hadi bodohbawah and many of the same dogs will start shouting and screaming that Malay rights will be eroded if East Malaysia is accorded equal rights.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jackal Way · Reply

  • Smart, votes-winning talk by Dr. Mahathir?..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

    • Dr. M plans to establish PH/Bersatu branches in Sarawak as an ongning process leading up to their state elections due in 2021, and GE15 due by 2023, to win over voters..

      Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

    • I see that Emeritus Professor Dr. Shad Saleem Faruqi has newly been appointed to the Judicial Appointments Commission along with 3 judges. He is a good asset for Pakatan govt to consult on these constitutional matters. He is already in the Institutional Reforms Committee PH set up after GE14 to advise on repairs to Malaysia's battered institutions destroyed under UmnoBN's stupidity in days gone by..

      Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Correct but as UMNO will want to appease Sabah and Sarawak it would be in their political interests to support the government on the amendments to repair the damage it caused.

    Posted 7 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply