GPS to block Bill to amend MA63

Reports by MARTIN CARVALHO, HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM, RAHIMY RAHIM and TARRENCE TAN 

GABUNGAN Parti Sarawak (GPS) lawmakers will attempt to block the Bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to honour the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) from being passed by Parliament.

In reaction, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the government would tweak the wording of the Bill in order to garner support from the opposition.

Petra Jaya MP and GPS chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof confirmed yesterday that the coalition would try to move a motion today to defer the Bill from being debated and passed before the end of the current Parliament meeting on Thursday.

“Even before the tabling of the Bill, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (MP for Santubong) will raise a point under the Standing Order to propose to the government to either withdraw the Bill or refer it to a Parliament Special Select Committee to be formed by the government,” he said when met at Parliament lobby.

The former works minister added that the Special Steering Committee set up by the government had yet to determine on the rights that would put Sarawak and Sabah on an equal footing.

He said the proposed amendments only involved amending Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution and did not spell out clearly what rights were to follow.

“That is why we want the Bill to be deferred. Do the amendment as a full package,” Fadillah added.

Last Thursday, there was an uproar among Sarawak and Sabah lawmakers when the Bill was tabled for the first reading in Parliament by Liew despite calls for the Bill to be deferred and referred to a select committee.

The proposed amendment, when passed, is to ensure that Sabah and Sarawak will be equal partners with Peninsular Malaysia.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to substitute Clause (2) of Article 1 to specify all the constituent states of the Federation by restoring, with modification, the position of Clause (2) of Article 1 of the Federal Constitution during the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

Liew said the government was considering to include those tweaks which would involve the words such as “Borneo” and “in pursuant” in the Bill.

“We are looking into it ... not a big issue. If we do what they want, just add a few words, I think they will support it,” he told reporters.

Liew said the Bill, which was listed as Item Six in the order paper, was expected to be debated and passed today.

He also urged the public to channel their views regarding the proposed amendments to their respective MPs.