KUCHING: All Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Members of Parliament (MPs) objected to the amendment Bill to Article 1 (2) of the Federal Constitution tabled in Parliament at noon today.
Prior to the objection, Kota Marudu MP Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili was the first who rose to his feet, attempting to stop the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government from tabling the Bill.
The Parti Bersatu Sabah lawmaker said this was a significant amendment, which the PH government ought to discuss extensively with the state governments of Sabah and Sarawak before seeking to pass the Bill in Parliament.
Maximus also requested that the Parliament set up a Select Committee to conduct an in-depth study into the issue.
His motion was supported by GPS MPs and other non-PH MPs who all requested the government of the day to retract the Bill.
Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, upon hearing the objection, ruled that MPs who objected to the Bill could voice their views during the second reading, which is expected on April 9.
Meanwhile, GPS chief whip in Parliament Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof termed the amendment as just “window dressing” from the federal government.
The Petra Jaya MP said the Bill did not meet the aspirations and hopes of the people of Sarawak.
“We appreciate the efforts of the federal government to table the amendment Bill, but it should not be done in such a hurried manner,” he said in a statement.
Fadillah added that the federal government should instead engage in-depth discussions with Sarawak and Sabah before tabling the amendment Bill.
Sarawak’s de facto law minister also said she was far from impressed by the bill.
“This amendment does not alter the functions of the federal and state government. There is no difference,” Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali told The Borneo Post.
Hasidah said the bill seems to be very vague and even described it as “Sekadar melepaskan batuk di tangga” a Malay proverb of doing something without any commitment, or just for the sake of doing it.
“This looks like nomenclature only,” she said.
A legal expert also observed that the much awaited amendments will merely revert to the Original Article of Constitution as at Malaysia Day with no indications on finance, rights to oil and gas, territorial waters.
In an immediate response, the legal expert commented that the amendment has no positive impact on the eroded rights and powers of Sarawak and Sabah.
“No big deal unless all other issues of finance, rights to oil n gas, territorial waters are resolved.
“It is just reverting to Original Article of Constitution as at Malaysia Day.
“No other positive impact on our eroded rights and powers,” he said.
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