MA63: Minister wants full support for constitutional amendment bill

Malaysia – Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), is optimistic that the people of Sabah and Sarawak would accept his proposed Bill to modify the Federal Constitution in relation to the Malaysia Agreement 1963. (MA63).

After the first reading on November 3, he added, the proposed Bill would be read for the second time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

According to him, the passage of the Bill might open the way for greater rights to be restored to the people of Sabah and Sarawak, which have been lost over time.  And that at the moment, this is one of his top concerns.

On November 3, the government introduced the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat for first reading, which intends to include the states of Malaya and Borneo, among other matters. Wan Junaidi introduced the bill.

The bill seeks to change Clause 2 of Article 1 of the Federal Constitution to read: “The states of the Federation comprise:

(a) the Malaysian states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor, and Terengganu; and

(b) Borneo’s two states, Sabah and Sarawak.

Moreover, Wan Junaidi said he has been visiting with constituents and members of the public in Sarawak over the last two days to update them on the status of important government reform efforts sponsored by his ministry, including the proposed Bill.

Transformation in Government Administration, Parliamentary Reforms, and Judiciary Independence, he noted, are the three other significant government transformation measures done by him and his ministry.

In the remark, he mentioned anti-party jumping legislation, limiting the Prime Minister’s term to no more than 10 years, implementing Undi 18, and automated voter registration as examples of government administration transformation.

Furthermore, he said that parliamentary changes include the reintroduction of the Parliamentary Services Act, modifications to the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, and the introduction of the Members of Parliament Code of Ethics.