IN UNMISTAKABLE SIGN OF SUPPORT FOR PAKATAN’S LANDMARK AMENDMENT, ABANG JO DENIES JUMPING THE GUN BUT MAKES CLEAR – ‘ONCE THE WORD ‘STATE’ IS DROPPED, SARAWAK WILL BECOME A REGION BUT STILL IN MALAYSIA’

A REPORTED Sarawak government directive that the word “state” be dropped from all official government affairs with immediate effect is not true, said Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg.

He said, however, that when amendments to Article 1(2) of the federal constitution are being made, then such an action would be consequential, given that Sarawak was a signatory to the Malaysia  Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“After the amendment is made, we (Sarawak) are no longer a state but a region,” he said, adding that Sarawak remains in Malaysia.

He said this after the launch of the Sarawak Career and Training Fair 2019 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching today when questioned by the media concerning the alleged directive, reports of which had gone viral on social media.

According to a report in a local daily, the decision to abolish the words, “state” and “negeri” in all official government correspondence was announced by Abang Johari at a briefing in Betong a few days ago.

State Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had been quoted as saying that the move was made following the amendments to the constitution.

The MA63 was signed by the three parties, namely Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.

“Our intention is to distinguish Sarawak from other states in Malaysia that are not the signatories of the MA63,” Abdul Karim had said.

– Bernama