KUCHING – There has been an overemphasis on form over substance in the recent adoption of the word “premier” to substitute “chief minister” under Article 6(3) of the Sarawak Constitution, said Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.
He said that without an amendment to the federal constitution and without tangible devolution of powers to Sarawak under Schedule 9, the change at the state level is merely cosmetic.
“While I am fully supportive of giving due recognition to the special position that Sabah and Sarawak have under the Federation of Malaysia, such amendments must first show tangible contrast in terms of powers and authority in comparison to other states and must be constitutionally recognised under the federal constitution.
“That is why while Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah argued that the amendment is in accordance with the amendment to the federal constitution enforced last week, I think this ‘title change’ was an afterthought or even oversight by the federal law minister,” said Yii, referring to Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
“In this context, amendments to Article 160 of the federal constitution that refer to ‘chief minister’ or head of the executive in a state would also have been tabled in Parliament during the constitutional amendments of Article 1(2) and Article 160 in November 2021.”
Yii said in a statement today that for the title “premier” to be more powerful vis-a-vis other states in Malaya, a federal constitution amendment must follow suit.
“He cannot just be known as a ‘premier’ in Sarawak but still be of the same status protocol ranking constitutionally outside Sarawak as all other chief ministers or menteri besar.
“For this reason, I urge the federal law minister, who is also an MP of the GPS state government to correct this and give more substantive force to these amendments by tabling another constitutional amendment bill in Parliament to give recognition to this title under Article 160 of the federal constitution.
“And more importantly, table an amendment to Schedule 9 to devolve or decentralise powers concentrated at the federal government first, including certain policy-making powers and fiscal powers, in order for Sabah and Sarawak to achieve more tangible autonomy.
“I reiterate my call for the GPS federal ministers and state leaders to commit to and formulate a power devolution blueprint for Sarawak to set a pathway for us to achieve greater decentralisation of powers and autonomy.
“This plan should outline key milestones within the next five to 10 years along with a periodic review of the progress made to prepare us to take on the responsibility.
“It should also outline the strategies that Sarawak will employ to develop human capital within the state to meet the unique challenges of today and tomorrow. Plans on how we build the capacity of Sarawakians and retain talent in the state so that we can develop it together should be covered thoroughly.
“Towards that end, we can start with devolving the powers for two important sectors, which are health and education, to Sarawak.
“Necessary steps should be taken to insert education and healthcare in the concurrent list under Schedule 9 as a responsibility to be shared among the federal and state governments of Sarawak and Sabah.”
According to Yii, the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of an equal federal-state partnership, especially in health matters, to effectively manage outbreaks and protect the lives of Sarawakians.
“Education is the most potent vehicle for upward social mobility. On top of educational infrastructure, developing sufficient teaching manpower is essential.
“The syllabus currently being taught in schools and institutes of higher learning must incorporate inputs from local stakeholders to produce versatile talent geared towards the jobs we want to create.
“Such dynamic investments will bring a positive impact to the employability of youths as well as individuals, especially women, who aim to re-enter the workforce.” – The Vibes, February 17, 2022
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