Bring up Private Bill on Constitution amendment, says Abdul Rahman

KOTA KINABALU: The Constitutional Amendment Bill to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with the Federation of Malaya as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 should be tabled again, but this time it must clearly state that Sabah and Sarawak share equal status.

Former Kota Belud member of parliament Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said there is a need to have a proper worded amendment to the Constitution that is no longer exposed to any kind of interpretation or misinterpretation.

Speaking to reporters after officiating at the joint opening of Umno Tuaran branches' annual general meeting, Abdul Rahman spoke about the confusion with regards to the matter.

“A lot of people are confused … they say that Sabah is equal to Peninsular Malaysia but if you look at the Constitution, it is not written as such. But people quoted what Tunku Abdul Rahman said, what he wrote and what he said in his speeches, that Malaya will not colonize Sabah, but unfortunately it is not in the Constitution.

“So fast forward to 2019, we have come back to a situation where we are now asked to accept an amendment to the Constitution that hardly points to the fact that Sabah is equal to Peninsular Malaysia.

“That particular amendment to the Constitution does not in any way show that Sabah is equal to Peninsular Malaysia. Yes, Tun Dr Mahathir did mention it in his preamble speech (before tabling the second reading of the amendment) but it is not written in the Constitution.

“So why do we want to commit a second mistake? The words are not clear even though the Prime Minister said it in his speech. And, if it is not secured within the ambit of the Federal Constitution, 10 years down the road when Tun Dr Mahathir is no longer around, people will refer to the Constitution rather than the speech by the Prime Minister,” he opined.

The amendment has to clearly say that Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia as equal because this is the fundamental position that everybody wants, said the Umno supreme council member.

According to him, there is nothing stopping any member of parliament from Sabah or Sarawak to bring a Private Bill to amend the Constitution as it is not the exclusive right of the Federal Government to do so.

“If this is done, let's see if the government will support or not. The ball is in their court, if they fully believe that Sabah and Sarawak should be equal to Peninsular Malaysia, then they should not give any problems to any MP who wants to bring a Private Bill that encompasses what Sabah and Sarawak want to Parliament.

“It has to be one that will clearly define within the sentences of the Bill, that will leave no room for any misunderstanding or interpretation in the future,” he said, adding that as government bills take precedence over Private Bills, this is where the resoluteness and sincerity of the PH government can be tested.

“If it does not see the light of day, then the PH government is not sincere. If any MP whether within PH or the opposition or independent comes up with a Bill that will better describe the amendment, which includes the spirit of MA63, I want to see if the PH government will pick up the Bill and put it as number one priority and to be debated immediately.