MIRI: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak slammed Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs for abstaining from voting and supporting the Bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore the equal status of Sarawak and Sabah.

According to PH Sarawak secretary Senator Alan Ling, the historical opportunity to restore the status of Sarawak and Sabah had been dashed to the ground by GPS and the Opposition from Sabah who abstained from voting on the amendment Bill last night.

He expressed great disappointment and accused the GPS lawmakers of “failing the aspirations of Sarawakians”, which to him, is totally unacceptable and beyond any justification.

He argued that excuses by the GPS have no merit, as the wording of the proposed amendment was exactly the same as the original version in 1963.

“Putting aside political propaganda, a matured political party or coalition should support whatever is good for the people especially in the amendment to put right the status of Sabah and Sarawak,” Ling said.

He urged Sarawakians to exercise wisdom and be prudent in assessing the current political context and bear in mind the bona fide political will and intention of PH federal government in wanting to right the wrong by restoring the rightful status of Sarawak and Sarawak in the federation.

“Lets there be no doubt about the sincerity of PH, the people are now very confused with GPS who claimed one thing but did exactly otherwise,” he stressed.

He said the federal government has adopted an open attitude and changed the wording in the proposed constitutional amendment after the first reading as it listened to the feedback and suggestion from all quarters.

“Perhaps the only reason (for GPS in not supporting the Bill) is political one, because upon the successful amendment, GPS will lose out in its sole political capital, “ he said.

Ling said credit should go to the people who have made change possible in the 14th general election and PH was merely fulfilling their aspirations.

In noting that the Senate is scheduled to sit between April 22 and May 9, Ling said all the Senators were expecting to debate on this amendment Bill, but ended up in disappointment, as it had failed to get through the Dewan Rakyat last night.

Despite that,  Ling said PH will continue to work hard on restoring the rights of Sarawak and Sabah albeit the setback.

“Now the PH Sarawak will focus on letting the people informed of the true picture of the whole incident which has saddened Sarawakians and the one who failed Sarawakians are non other than GPS, the so called local party.”

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Source : Borneo Post by Philip Kiew

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