Keningau MP and STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan said he was confident the 57 Sabah and Sarawak MPs would support the amendment to help PH get the two-thirds majority it needs to amend the constitution.
Jeffrey, who is also Sabah’s opposition leader said, however, the amendment will do no good if Sabah and Sarawak’s other constitutional rights continue to be ignored as it had been for the past 55 years, citing Sabah’s entitlement to 40% of net revenue collected from the state.
He was commenting on Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks that he wasn’t convinced the opposition would support the move to restore equal partner status to Sabah and Sarawak.
In order to restore equal partner status to Sabah and Sarawak, Article 1 (2) of the constitution would need to be changed and restored to the wording prior to the 1976 amendment which indicated the East Malaysian states as a separate territory from the Federation of Malaya.
Previously, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) reminded International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking to claim the RM1 trillion which he said Putrajaya owed Sabah in the form of the 40% net revenue.
PBB’s Santubong MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said it would only be impossible to return Sabah and Sarawak’s equal status if the PH government didn’t make an effort because even Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had in the past voiced that the BN would honour the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“Even PAS, which isn’t vocal on the matter, will surely support it as it is the morally right thing to do, as for East Malaysian MPs, it would be political suicide if they don’t support it.
“In advanced democracies, many ruling parties don’t have the majority yet can pass legislation because they have help from the opposition, so PH must discuss this issue with all MPs before taking the amendments to Dewan Rakyat. From there, they will know the level of support for it.”
PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said restoring Sabah and Sarawak’s status as equal partners in the federation would go a long way in erasing any feeling of Peninsula Malaysia dominating over the two states.
“Getting MPs from Sabah and Sarawak to support the constitutional amendment shouldn’t be a problem. Just move the bill and Sabah and Sarawak will support it so Mahathir doesn’t need to feel unconvinced over opposition support for the move.”
Umno’s Kimanis MP Anifah Aman was earlier reported as saying that he would help to get the opposition MPs to support the constitutional amendment.