Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he had held a briefing for all Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs on Tuesday on the proposed amendments to the federal constitution. – Bernama photo
KUCHING (Oct 14): Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar hopes to have the support from all members of parliament (MPs) when the bill to amend certain articles in the federal constitution is tabled in Parliament during the next sitting.
He said he had held a briefing for all Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs on Tuesday on the proposed amendments to the federal constitution.
The key amendments concerns Art 1(2) and Art 160(2).
“This amendment is very different to the one proposed by the PH government in 2018. The key difference is in the additional proposed amendment, by redefining ‘federation’ in Article 160(2).
“This was missing in the previous proposed amendment despite the urging of GPS MPs when they were asked to support the amendment in 2018. GPS abstained because the 2018 amendment was not meaningful without redefining the meaning of federation,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Wan Junaidi, who is also Santubong MP, said the proposed new definition on federation is ‘The Federation that was first established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957 and further pursuant to an Agreement concluded on 9th day of July 1963 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore, the Federation is called Malaysia with Colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and the State of Singapore federated with the existing States of the Federation of Malaya as the States of Sabah, Sarawak and a Singapore in accordance with the constitutional instruments annexed thereto but under and by virtue of the Agreement relating to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia as an independent and sovereign State dated 7th August 1965, Singapore has ceased to be a State of Malaysia’.
“The other amendment is to add a new definition ‘Malaysia Day’ as at Sept 16, 1963 in Article 160(2). Currently only Hari Merdeka is defined.
“These amendments will complete and add substance to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. It corrects a big anomaly in the federal constitution,” he said.