MA63 decisions only made 7 months after debate, says Khairy

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin of Umno disputes claims by the de facto law minister, Liew Vui Keong.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition MP Khairy Jamaluddin has accused de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong of playing a “narrow political game” by trying to cover up his failure to amend a Federal Constitution provision on the status of Sabah and Sarawak.

Khairy disputed Liew’s recent claim that 17 of 21 issues regarding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 had been cleared up by a special cabinet committee.

Khairy, who is MP for Rembau, is a member of the Barisan Nasional “shadow cabinet” in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said that four months after the proposed amendment was brought to the Dewan Rakyat, only 7 of 21 claims by Sabah and Sarawak had been agreed by a special Cabinet committee.

Agreement on 17 issues that Liew had mentioned in recent statements were only decided during the special committee meeting on Nov 18 – seven months after the Dewan Rakyat debate on the constitutional amendment, which failed to obtain the required two-thirds majority.

“His denial is also to cover up his failure as the responsible minister for the amendment to the Federal Constitution,” he added.

Khairy said Liew should not neglect the facts just because Warisan was “desperate” to win the Kimanis parliamentary by-election on Jan 18.

“A lot of issues have been touched on by the opposition before, during and after the debate on the constitutional amendment,” he said.

“This includes the request for the special cabinet committee to finalise negotiations on the claims by Sabah and Sarawak, and bring the matter to a select parliamentary committee.

He said the chronology was clear proof that, when the Dewan Rakyat debated the constitutional amendment, many issues had yet to be finalised and were still in negotiation.

“This is the main reason the opposition did not support the amendment.” We urged that the matter not be rushed, until all relevant matters had been concluded, he said. - FMT