PARLIAMENT | The attempt to amend the Federal Constitution, with regard to the status of Sabah and Sarawak, was shot down at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat tonight.
This is after the Federal Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 failed to obtain two-thirds majority of the House or 148 votes.
With a total 138 parliamentarians voted for the bill and zero votes against the bill, Putrajaya was short of 10 votes to pass its first attempt in constitutional amendment.
A total 59 lawmakers abstained from voting.
"So, (the government) does not command two-third majority votes," announced Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof after a bloc voting.
"The bill cannot be continued (passed) at the second stage," he said before adjourning the sitting for the day.
At this juncture, Chang Lih Kang (Harapan-Tanjung Malim) said the people will punish the lawmakers who did not vote for the bill.
International Trade and Industry Minister Darrel Leiking (Harapan-Penampang) also said "the people in Sabah and Sarawak will lose".
A Harapan source believed that the lawmakers from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), BN and PAS abstained from voting.
"We believed that several opposition lawmakers from Sabah voted for the bill," he told Malaysiakini on the condition of anonymity.
They were Anifah Aman (Independent-Kimanis), Jeffrey Kitingan (GBS-Keningau), Maximus Ongkili (GBS-Kota Marudu) and Arthur Joseph Kurop (GBS-Pensiangan), said the source.
While noting that several Harapan lawmakers, included Maszlee Malik (Simpang Renggam), Shamsul Iskandar (Hang Tuah Jaya) and Noor Amin Ahmad (Kangar) were not present during the voting, the source said Harapan would not have made it even with full attendance from Harapan and Warisan.
The source said Harapan could have only passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 with the support of 18 parliamentarians from GPS.
The bill was rejected after seven hours of debate by 46 lawmakers.
Earlier, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (GPS-Santubong) had mooted the bill to be referred to select committee of Parliament.
A total of 136 MPs turned down his motion while only 60 voted for it.
In his winding up of debate at policy stage, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there was no need to refer the bill to the parliamentary select committee.
"The amendment was quite clear, it was about (rewriting) about the provision on the formation of the federal states as according to the provision during the formation of Malaysia," he said.
There was also no need to refer the bill to the Council of Rulers as this constitutional amendment would not touch the status of rulers. - Mkini
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