More constitutional amendments in the offing if Article 1(2) bill passed, says PM

PARLIAMENT | Putrajaya will introduce more amendments to the Federal Constitution on the status of Sabah and Sarawak in future, pledged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.

This can be done after the bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution is passed in the current Dewan Rakyat sitting, and pending the decisions of the special cabinet committee on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), he said.

"After the proposed amendment to Article 1(2) is agreed to (by Parliament), other appropriate amendments will follow suit (pending) the outcome of the ongoing negotiation," he said.

Mahathir was speaking at the tabling of the Federal Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 at the policy stage.

A number of opposition coalitions, namely BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) demanded that the bill be referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee when it was tabled for first reading last Thursday.

In his speech today, Mahathir said the government will amend the bill at the committee stage, to bring it in line with MA63.

The latest amendment would restore the wordings of "the states of Malaya" and “the Borneo states” in Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution, according to him.

Mahathir also said the previous administration had failed to introduce necessary amendments to the Federal Constitution in Parliament.

[More to follow]  - Mkini