GABUNGAN Parti Sarawak (GPS) can now claim to be champions of the state’s rights with the passing of amendments to the Federal Constitution to restore its status in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), University of Tasmania Asian expert James Chin said in an online forum last night.

This is seen in GPS’ campaign in the ongoing state elections, where every party contesting also claims they are champions of MA63.

The MA63 is an emotional issue for Sarawak folk who will cast their ballots this Saturday after years of having state rights eroded and development and opportunities determined by the federal government in the peninsula, Chin said.

“The simple narrative makes it easy for every Sarawak folk to understand,” he said at the forum.

Chin said while every other political party talks about “getting the rights back”, GPS is the only political coalition that has shown it could do it.

Chin said the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) tried to get Sarawak and Sabah’s status restored as per the MA63 when they were in federal power for two years after the 2018 general election but failed.

He referred to the attempt in 2019 when PH’s proposal to amend Article 1(2) of the constitution to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak according to what were agreed in the MA63 failed to get the needed two-thirds support of lawmakers.

Only 138 MPs supported the bill, 10 votes short of the required two-thirds majority of 148.

All 18 GPS MPs abstained from supporting the bill over its wording and how the bill was presented.

GPS is a coalition of four Sarawak-based parties – Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu being the lead party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party and the Progressive Democratic Party.

It has the advantage of incumbency and is also part of the federal government.

“PBK talks about it but nothing to show,” he said in reference to Parti Bumi Kenyalang, a party that goes to the polls with only one item in its manifesto – that it will take Sarawak out of Malaysia if it wins the elections.

“Only GPS has something to show.” – December 15, 2021.