KOTA KINABALU: Parti Solidariti Tanah AIRKU (STAR) welcomes the decision to delay the tabling of the Bill to amend Article 1(2) and 160(2) of the Federal Constitution.
In a statement here today, STAR President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said amendment to the Federal Constitution affecting the Bornean States is a complex and controversial issue.
“Therefore, more time is needed to ensure that the amendment is handled carefully.
“We don’t want to end up with just a cosmetic amendment. The proposed amendment should result in the strengthening of the Federation and a clear definition of the equal partnership among the the three entities forming Malaysia,” he said.
Kitingan who is also the Keningau MP maintained that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 is basically a Malayan takeover of the British colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak.
He insisted that the international agreement arranged by the British and Malayan governments does not reflect the Sabahan aspirations as it was signed on 9 July 1963 before the process of forming Malaysia was completed which only happened on 16 September 1963.
“That’s why I suggested moving forward in accordance with the Proclamation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963 which took into account Sabah’s independence and self-governance,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Kitingan criticised an article published by an online portal that stated incorrectly that the amendment is meant to give Sabah and Sarawak equal status with the ‘states in Malaya’.
He said it is this kind of mentality and idea that need to be addressed and he hoped the proposed amendment would clearly demonstrate the Bornean States’ equal status, not with the ‘states in Malaya’, but with the Federation of Malaya as per the Proclamation of Malaysia and paragraph 10 of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report.-pr/BNN
