SARAWAK is opposed to the constitutional amendment tabled in parliament this week as a key demand by the Bornean state has been ignored, said Abang Johari Openg.

The chief minister added the state’s view that Article 160(2) of the federal constitution on the definition of “the federation”, which it said should be amended with Article 1(2), was not heeded by Putrajaya.

He, however, did not say if MPs from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which he leads, would vote against the bill.

The GPS has 18 seats in the lower house and Pakatan Harapan will need its support to meet the 145 threshold or two-thirds majority to make a change to the Federal Constitution.

The amendment to Article 1(2) seeks to restore the rights of Sarawak and Sabah as intended in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

On accusations that the state had reneged, Abang Johari said Sarawak reps in the technical working committee with Sabah had supported the Article 1(2) amendment, provided it came with an amendment to the definition of “the federation”.

“We felt that an amendment on Article 1(2) alone does not fully address the aspirations of the people of Sarawak, tantamount to committing a fraud on the people.

“By amending Article 160(2), a reference to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 should be made in the Federal Constitution.

“The Federal Constitution in its current form makes no reference to the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said at a press conference in Sarikei today.

He said his stand on the constitutional amendments has been consistent.

“These amendments must be of a substantive nature and not merely in form.”

The chief minister said the technical committee at its first meeting on January 14 decided that no piecemeal amendments will be made to the constitution.

Abang Johari added as the tabling of the amendments is set at the third sitting of parliament in October, no further discussions were held at the subsequent meeting last month.

“We are also of the view that this amendment will be more appropriate if tabled after substantive decisions have been made by the MA63 committees.”

On de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong’s claim that the proposed amendment had received approvals from Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers during the meeting by the cabinet committee on MA63, Abang Johari said although he agreed to the intention to amend Article 1(2), “no approval was given in respect of the amendment in its current form.”

He said this is because the cabinet committee did not discuss actual content and wording of the amendment.

“I have highlighted at the first steering committee meeting that our discussions and decisions should be within the parameters of the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963.”

He said any decision on the amendments will require him to obtain mandate from the state consultative committee – a bipartisan oversight body established by the Sarawak assembly. – April 6, 2019