Sarawak legislature may soon be equal to ‘provincial parliament’, says Abang Jo

SARAWAK Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said Sarawak’s legislature may soon enjoy a status equivalent to a “provincial parliament”.

“We are surely eligible for a higher status than just being any other state.

“In fact, we are higher than even being a territory and are comparable to a provincial parliament if we adopt the terminology used in certain Commonwealth countries like Australia.

“Our state attorney-general is looking into all these and we will find an appropriate term to describe Sarawak once we drop the use of ‘state’,” he said after a Hari Raya gathering in Kuching.

Abang Johari confirmed that Sarawak is indeed proceeding to lift its status beyond that of a state.

“We are definitely higher than a state, so we will look into the legal aspects of how to go about uplifting our status,” he said.

Yesterday, Sarawak assembly Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar publicly asserted that Sarawak considers itself as a region of Malaysia, not just a state.

Speaking at a gathering in the Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) headquarters in Kuching, he said Sarawak has a status higher than any state in the country.

“Malaysia was formed in 1963 by the unification of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore.

“All these are regions which came together to become one country.

“It is high time that we in Sarawak drop the term ‘state’ and our legislative assembly be called Sarawak legislative assembly to signify our status as a region,” he said. – The Vibes, May 6, 2024