OPPOSITION MPs from Sarawak snubbed the constitutional amendment on Sabah and Sarawak’s status in the federation because there was no mention of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) did not vote on the bill because de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong’s office bungled the bill’s drafting.

“The wording (of the bill) could have been better,” he said after witnessing the passing out of 44 certified integrity officers in Petra Jaya today.

Abang Johari said he had told Liew that the bill to amend Article 1(2) of the constitution must be in the spirit of the MA63.

“If there had been a discussion, I don’t think we can’t cooperate.

Only 138 MPs out of 222 –10 lawmakers short of two-thirds majority needed – backed the bill that would have returned Sabah and Sarawak’s position as two the founding regions of Malaysia, along with Malaya. 

Fifty-nine MPs abstained, including the 17 from GPS.

“If there had been good handling on the part of the secretariat and us, … (we) would have a very strong platform (for negotiations).

Abang Johari said there was a lack of face-to-face discussions between the parties.

“My parameter was within the constitution and the MA63. The spirit of the MA63 must be there in the amendment.”

Abang Johari did not blame Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the wording of the bill.

He said in his many meetings with the prime minister prior to the tabling of the bill, the “prime minister was very sincere to bring about the change and restore the rights of the people of the Borneo states”.

Santubong MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar earlier said he is confident Dr Mahathir will re-table the bill.

He said he believed the amendment will continue to be discussed at the special cabinet committee on MA63, which the prime minister chairs and the chief ministers of Sabah and Sarawak are members.

“I am confident this amendment can be re-tabled as long as the words we proposed are included in it.

“The spirit of the MA63 must be inserted into the constitution.”

GPS chief whip Fadillah Yusof said the bloc’s MPs abstained from voting because they felt Articles 1(2) and 160(2) should be amended in the manner the GPS MPs had proposed.

Fadillah said there is no mention or recognition of the MA63 in the constitution.

He said the attorneys-general of the Borneo states and the federal attorney-general should discuss the matter because “it involves legal interpretation”.

Earlier, Liew said A-G Tommy Thomas was of the view that inserting language on MA63 would “complicate things” as it might involve the 1965 agreement on Singapore’s divorce form Malaysia.

Liew said explanatory notes in the constitution was a better way to explain the relevance of MA63 rather than having it spelt out in one of the articles. – April 12, 2019.