I was personally a bit disappointed with the postponement of the tabling of a Bill to amend the Federal Constitution to be in line with the provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). I have informed our media friends that it should have been tabled yesterday (26 October), and then put up for debate during the current sitting of Parliament.
Perhaps some of our Federal Cabinet ministers still need time for a detailed explanation from the federal Attorney General (AG). That is why, as I understand it, it has been postponed to a future date, but not withdrawn.
I hope for the Bill will not disappear to ensure that the work of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) YB Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to restore the rights of Sarawak and Sabah is brought to fruition. Personally, to me, this is a small matter but the federal ministers should read the draft Bill. There is no need to seek clarification from the AG.
I have also cautioned that the Bill might not be tabled during the current sitting of Parliament because much of the time will be spent on the federal Budget 2022. Previously, Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi had mentioned the postponement of the tabling of the Bill was due to several ministers wanting clarifications and the AG has been invited to provide this as a neutral party in the next meeting.
Meanwhile, our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg had also said that he does not view as problematic the postponement. He was also made to understand by YB Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi that the delay centred on matters concerning Article 160 of the Federal Constitution relating to the definition of the “federation”.
According to him it is just to clarify the matter. Not a big problem, but a matter of clarification what he had mentioned these to our media reporters after launching the Pehin Sri Adenan Satem Chair Research Centre of Universiti Putra Malaysia, Bintulu Campus, and 2nd International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (ICOSSH) 2021.
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