KUCHING, Jan 5 — The Sarawak For Sarawakians (S4S) movement said it has collected 270,000 signatures, or over 10 per cent of the Sarawakian population, in its campaign for legislation mandating referendums on issues involving the state’s autonomy.

The civil society group is pushing for the enactment of a Referendum Ordinance so that the Sarawak state government is required to hold a referendum if it wants to change the East Malaysian state’s rights on religion, immigration, oil and gas, and the use of English as an official language.

“The total was short by 30,000 of our target to collect 300,000 signatures in our campaign which started on September 16 last year,” S4S leader Peter John Jaban told reporters here after the campaign ended on December 31.

He noted, however, that 270,000 is a significant figure as it represents over 10 per cent of Sarawak’s 2.6 million population.

A referendum is a vote by the electorate on major issues. Malaysia does not practise referendums, unlike in the UK.

In a 2014 referendum, Scotland voted to remain in the UK and rejected independence. Calling for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak from the Malaysian federation is considered seditious.

Jaban said today that his team is verifying the 270,000 signatures.

“Therefore, any duplicates, signatures with missing data or incorrect IC class will be taken out of the final figure, which will be announced in a few weeks,” he said.

The activist said the final figure will be submitted to Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

“We are calling for the enactment of the Referendum Ordinance which will compel the government to consult us through referendum if it wants to change or give away the state’s rights to the federal government,” he said.

He said a referendum should have been held when the Sarawak state government handed over the state’s rights on education and health to the federal government and urged Sarawak to reclaim its rights over those matters.

“Now, Sarawakians are standing up for their rights at long last and will not settle for anything less than the full position and autonomy promised to us under the Malaysia Agreement signed by our forefathers in 1963,” he said.

The activist cited the passage of the National Security Council Bill, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the incitement of racial and religious sentiments as issues that Sarawakians could not stay silent on.