KUCHING, March 31 — Former Bintulu MP Ting Ling Kiew today revealed that he deliberately skipped out on Parliament proceedings the day legislators were to vote on a constitutional Bill that cost Sarawak and Sabah their status as equal partners to the peninsula in the Federation of Malaysia.
The story of how Sarawak and Sabah, freed from colonial British rule, became among the 13 states in the federation dates back to 1976 but has become a hot topic in Borneo recently as the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government seeks to table another Bill to restore equality to the two territories.
“Malaysia is a big cake and Sarawak shares one-third of it. After the passing of the Bill, Sarawak would have to share the cake with 12 other states.
“This is not fair to us,” the Bintulu MP from 1974 to 1990 who was opposed to the Bill told a news conference here.
Ting said he and former federal minister Tan Sri Leo Moggie were the two MPs from Sarawak who were absent from Parliament when the Bill to amend Article 1 of the Constitution was debated and then put to vote in 1976.
He believed that Moggie, who was overseas on ministerial duties, would have voted for the amendments if he were in Parliament when the Bill was put to vote.
Ting said he made the decision to stay away from Parliament after consulting Sarawak National Party (SNAP) president the late Datuk Amar Dunstan Endawie, former Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president the late Tan Sri Ong Kee Hui and former Opposition Leader the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Khoon.
Ting said he relayed his strong objection on the amendments to the Federal Constitution in a long telephone call to Endawie after the tabling of the Bill.
“I called him and we had a long talk over phone. I asked him if SNAP was going to expel me or not. He replied it all depends. For him personally, he would not have me expelled, but the party would have to take action if the Barisan Nasional put pressure on him.
“Then he advised me to go to Singapore and play mahjong there,” he recalled.
On his meeting with Ong, Ting said it was to consult him after reading through the provisions of the Bill.
He said Ong was a respected parliamentarian from Sarawak whose views were normally sought after by other parliamentarians from the state.
“I asked him what he thought of the Bill. Instead of answering my question, he asked me what I thought about it.
“I told him I was not going to support it because we needed time to thoroughly study the provisions and the implications it would have on Sarawak.
“I also suggested that the Bill should be tabled after, not before, the next general election,” Ting said, adding that the tabling of the Bill should not be rushed.
He recalled Ong totally disagreed with his view, insisting that he must support the Bill.
“He said if we opposed the Bill, then the Barisan Nasional would take action against us,” he said, adding that he could not be bothered so long as SNAP did not take action against him.
After meeting Ong, Ting said he sought Dr Tan’s opinion on the Bill.
“He advised me if I did not want to support the Bill, then I should not be in Parliament when voting took place.
“If I were in Parliament, my name would be registered as being present and then I would have to give my support,” he said, telling Dr Tan that he would think of his advice to stay away from Parliament.
Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Kiong is due to table a Bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore the status of Sarawak and Sabah to the original pre-1976 position next month.
The Bill is scheduled to be debated on April 8 and 9, after which it will be put to vote.
