KUCHING, Oct 16 — Children of mixed marriages between Sarawakian Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera or foreigners will be given Bumiputera status once the Parliament passed a law on their racial status this month, said Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) said this law will be included in the proposed amendments of the Federal Constitution which require two-third majority votes to be passed.
Modelled after the Sabah “Pribumi” concept, the new law if passed will affect off springs of mixed marriages between Bumiputera and non — Bumiputera who account for about 30 per cent of Sarawak population, he told reporters this at a Minister-meet-the media session at a hotel here today
Wan Junaidi cited his own children and those of Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing (whose first wife is Australian), Federal Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf and state Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Datuk Amar Michael Manyin Jawong as among those who will gain Bumiputera status once the law was passed.
When asked if their children could buy native land when their status is changed to Bumiputera, the Santubong MP said: “Obviously that can be done.”
At the moment the court is over burdened with cases of children of mixed parentage applying to inherit native land from one of their parents or buy native land.
Wan Junaidi pointed out that it would be possible to have a “Chinese native” as in the case of a child whose mother is a Chinese and father Iban, for instance, once the law is passed.
Wan Junaidi also expressed confidence that DAP MPs in Sarawak would support the Bill to amend Articles 1 (2) and 160 of the Federal Constitution because the proposed amendment is a package which even the state opposition would approve of.
The PBB supreme council member said it would be a political blunder on the Sarawak DAP if their MPs do not support these amendments.
He said the Bill will be tabled at Parliament for first reading on October 25 and second reading for it to be debated on October 28. — Borneo Post Online
