Former Saratok MP Edmund Langgu Saga said he was deputy federal agriculture minister in 1976 but could not recall the amendment made to Article 1 in that year.
“The amendment to the Federal Constitution in 1976 was unfair to Sarawak as it reduced our state to one of the 13 states in Malaysia.
“I hope our chief minister will right the wrong done 40 years ago,” said Edmund.
Former Bau-Lundu MP Patrick Anek Uren, a lawyer, said the 1976 amendment could also be undone through the Sarawak Assembly.
“The reversal can be done if the Sarawak Assembly passes a unanimous motion to reverse the amendment and get Putrajaya to amend the Federal Constitution, because the 1976 amendment was ultra vires MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963).”
However, Patrick was less confident the amendment would go through in Parliament as Sabah and Sarawak only have 57 MPs out of the 222 MPs.
Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Masing, who is also PRS president, called on Borneo MPs to stand united and speak with one voice on the proposed amendment.
If Sarawak was to table a motion in Parliament, he stressed, it should be done by Adenan’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
“We are not in a position to take the lead in reclaiming our rights, as enshrined in MA63.
“This is because Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is represented by only six out of 31 Sarawak MPs, while PBB has 14. But PRS will support PBB,” Masing said.
Besides the PBB and PRS federal lawmakers in Parliament, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) has three, SUPP one and BN-friendly Teras has one, too.
The Opposition in Sarawak has five MPs from DAP and one from PKR.
Batu Lintang Assemblyman See Chee How, a lawyer and PKR Sarawak vice-chairman, thinks Adenan should forge a strong coalition of Sabah and Sarawak MPs in Parliament to push through a motion on the proposed amendment to Article 1.
“To reclaim state rights is sacrosanct to all MPs from the two Borneo states. Those will be the critical benchmarks for candidates seeking re-election and election in the next general election,” See said.