Nod to proposed Federal Constitution amendments to change Sabah, Sarawak's status
Published on: Tuesday, October 19, 2021
By: FMT
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (right) chairing the special council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 meeting yesterday, attended by among others, Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Maximus Ongkili (second right). (Photo: Via FMT)
Kota Kinabalu: The special council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MKMA63) has agreed upon proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution that will return Sabah and Sarawak to their equal status in Malaysia.
Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Maximus Ongkili said the decision was made during a nearly three-hour MKMA63 meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday.
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“The amendments will redefine the meaning of Federation,” he said in a statement today.
The proposal to amend Article 1(2) and 160(2) of the Federal Constitution was tabled by law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who also heads the MKMA63’s equal status working committee.
Wan Junaidi said the current amendment was different from that proposed by the Pakatan Harapan government in 2018.
“The amendment will define the status of all states in Malaysia in line with the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957, MA63 and the position following Singapore’s exit in 1965,” Wan Junaidi explained.
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Previously, Wan Junaidi said the opposition bloc in the Dewan Rakyat had agreed in principle to the proposed amendment to the Federal Constitution to bring it in line with the MA63.
Wan Junaidi said he had also spoken with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun about tabling the amendment for first reading on Oct 25 and second reading on Oct 28.
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Meanwhile, Ongkili said today that MKMA63 has agreed to the proposal to table the bill in the next Parliament sitting.
“The MKMA63 will continue to discuss outstanding matters and ensure the rights of Sabahans and Sarawakians are restored,” he said.
In addition, he said, the MKMA63 also agreed on empowering both the Sabah and Sarawak governments to issue licences for deep-sea fishing.
During the meeting, agriculture and food industries minister Ronald Kiandee tabled a paper seeking approval from MKMA63 to empower the fisheries department in Sabah to issue licences for vessels and fishing equipment for Zone C fishing spots, which is currently handled at the federal level.
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