Rohani: GPS MPs abstained from voting as constitutional amendment needs more study

KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs abstained from voting on a constitutional amendment to restore Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners in Malaysia as it needs to be studied in more detail.

Its Batang Lupar MP Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim (pic) said the proposed amendment to Article 1(2) did not clearly state the two states' rights and interests as an equal partner.

She said the words "pursuant to the Malaysia Agreement 1963" should be included in the amendment to guarantee that Sabah and Sarawak would not lose their rights.

"We feel that the amendment must be fine-tuned in detail and not simply state that Sabah and Sarawak are 'equal partners' in Malaysia.

"Various details in relation to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) must be studied thoroughly.

"We cannot give our support blindly because we fear that this would result in the erosion of our rights as an equal partner, which have yet to be spelt out in detail," she said in a statement on Wednesday (Apr 10).

Rohani also said GPS wanted the amendment to be referred to a parliamentary select committee for review, but this was ignored.

"Regrettably, we were accused of betraying Sarawak's interest but this is clearly not true.

"It is not that we rejected the amendment – we only abstained from voting so the two-thirds majority was not achieved.

"We took this step to prevent unfairness towards Sarawak's interests according to MA63," she said.

Eighteen MPs from GPS and one GPS-friendly Sarawakian MP were among the 59 lawmakers who abstained from voting on the amendment to Article 1(2) in Parliament on Tuesday night (Apr 9).

A total of 138 MPs voted for the amendment, which was short of the two-thirds majority or 148 votes required to pass it.