KUALA LUMPUR – Reinstating the original wording in Article 1(2) of the federal constitution is only the first step toward restoring the true status of Sabah and Sarawak within the federation of Malaysia, said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
Sabah, he said in a statement here today, will look into amending its own constitution to revert the title of the Sabah governor from Yang di-Pertua Negeri to Yang di-Pertua Negara.
“This is significant, because it elevates our status as a country compared to when our governor is merely addressed as Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
“We need to instil in the people’s minds the true status of Sabah, and for that matter, Sarawak, within Malaysia,” the Keningau MP added.
Kitingan said this will uphold the original wording of the proclamation of Malaysia, in which the governor of Sabah was addressed as the Yang di-Pertua Negara of Sabah.
He added that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led government will continue to fight for the full restoration of Sabah’s autonomy, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.
Besides Article 1(2), said Kitingan, the other flaw in the federal constitution is Article 160(2), which defines the federation as one established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957.
“Sabah and Sarawak are not parties to this agreement. This interpretation must be corrected. Otherwise, whenever the term ‘federation’ is used in the federal constitution, it refers only to the states of Malaya.
“An amendment must be made to interpret the federation as the federation formed pursuant to the Malaysia Agreement 1963. Or else, this charade of Malaya pretending to be Malaysia will continue,” he said. – The Vibes, December 15, 2021
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