KOTA KINABALU, Dec 15 — The passing of the Federal Constitution Amendment 2021 Bill was a path-breaking and massive legal breakthrough for Sabah and Sarawak, and the nation as a whole, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs), Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili.
He said all pre-constitutional documents such as the Malaysia Agreement, Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, Cobbold Commission Report and even the 20 Points and 18 Points could now be directly cited as legal and constitutional because these were all appendices of the Malaysia Act and Malaysia Agreement.
“This is indeed a massive historical legal breakthrough,” the Kota Marudu Member of Parliament said in a statement here today.
The Bill, passed yesterday with more than two-thirds majority through a bloc vote, will see MA63 being placed on equal footing with the 1948 Federal Agreement and 1957 Federal Agreement.
The Parti Bersatu Sabah president explained that with the amendments to Article 1(2) and Article 160(2) of MA63, it would become entrenched in the Federal Constitution and a basic reference of the rights of the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak in the Malaysian Federation.
Ongkili said the states’ rights and assurances such as oil and gas, economic progress especially in infrastructure, education, health, religion, culture and native rights, security, digital technology and others would carry legal weightage and could not be ignored as it had legal documents to back up the states’ demands.
“The major task now is to ensure that the terms of agreement of MA63 will be implemented.
“I am confident that the constitutional amendment will strengthen the federation as the federal government and the governments of Sabah and Sarawak work closer together and deliver the rights and privileges contained in MA63.
“It is also a victory for everyone after 58 years of Malaysia’s formation, where the MA63 has become part of the Federal Constitution,” he added. — Bernama
