KOTA KINABALU – The prime minister’s remark on Sabah and Sarawak being “wilayah” (regions) is nothing but election fodder, said Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president Datuk Junz Wong.
The Tg Aru assemblyman, in a statement today, said the comment means nothing unless the federal constitution is amended to change the status of the two states to “regions”.
“Clearly an election gimmick. Sabahans will not fall for the same trick over and over again.
“The prime minister said Perikatan Nasional needs to win big in order for a constitutional amendment to be made.
“But, nobody is stopping him from reconvening Parliament now. In fact, he is the one who suspended Parliament.”
He said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin referencing Sabah and Sarawak as “regions” is only an executive order, and that the rights of both states in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 have not been restored.
These include rights to oil and gas, exporting licences and special grants.
Wong said under the constitution, Sabah and Sarawak have the same status as the states of the Federation of Malaya.
A constitutional amendment to restore the two states as equal partners of the Federation was pushed in April 2019, but failed after 59 MPs abstained from voting.
Sabah and Sarawak’s status as equal partners was downgraded by Parliament in 1976. – The Vibes, April 9, 2021
