DAP has promised the support of its 42 MPs for any constitutional amendment bill the Perikatan Nasional government may table to restore the status of Sarawak and Sabah within the federation of Malaysia as stipulated in the Malaysia Agreement1963.

Party vice-chairman Chong Chieng Jen said their backing and that of the sole PKR Sarawak MP Dr Michael Teo and the government’s 112 lawmakers should add up to more than the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution.

“It is beyond doubt that the constitutional amendment will have the threshold 148 MP’s support,” Chong said in response to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s pledge on Thursday to amend the federal constitution to better reflect the position of the two Borneo states in the federation.

Chong, who is also Sarawak PH chief, said the Sarawak branch of the coalition resolved in a meeting today that all of its Sarawak MPs “will support such constitutional amendment to restore the original version of article 1(2) of the federal constitution”.

“The ball is now (in the) PN government and GPS’ court,” he said, when demanding that the prime minister calls for parliament to convene.

With the Sarawak elections looming, Chong said Muhyiddin should “not merely pay lip service to the restoration of Sarawak’s status as a bait for vote”.

“That is insulting and degrading to the spirit of MA63 which forms our country.”

Muhiyiddin, Chong added, should immediately convene parliament to honour his announcement to restore Sarawak’s status in Malaysia.

In April 2019 the then Pakatan Harapan (PH) government tabled a bill to amend article 1(2) of the federal constitution to its original form and wordings at the time of the formation of Malaysia.

The bill failed to pass without the support of two-thirds of the 222MPs.

The 18 GPS lawmakers abstained when the time came to vote on the grounds the bill did not include their demand for an amendment to article 160 on the definition of “federation” within the context of Malaysia.

In Article 160, the “federation” means “the federation established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1957”.

Sarawak had demanded that it be included in the amendment to read “the federation established under the Federation of Malaysia Agreement, 1963”.

The PH government of Dr Mahathir Mohamad refused to have that included.

Chong today accused Sarawak ruling coalition GPS of being “hypocritical” in raising the constitutional amendment with state elections just round the corner.

Muhyiddin on Thursday said he would amend Article 160 except that it was difficult to do without the support of the rest of the members of parliament.

Muhyiddin promised the bill would see easy passage if PN were to have “a big win” with a two-thirds majority in the general election.

“You have my word on that,” he said. – April 3, 2021.