The bill was tabled by law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
It proposes to amend Article 1 of the Federal Constitution by replacing Clause 2 to say the states of the federation comprise:
- The states of Malaya, namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor and Terengganu; and
- The Borneo states, namely Sabah and Sarawak.
It also seeks to amend Article 160 (2) of the Federal Constitution to introduce the definition of Malaysia Day and to substitute the definition of “the federation” in accordance with the spirit of the agreement relating to Malaysia dated July 9, 1963, and by virtue of the agreement relating to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia as an independent and sovereign state dated Aug 7, 1965.
The bill also proposes to amend Article 161A of the Federal Constitution by replacing paragraph (a) of Clause 6 with “In relation to Sarawak, a person who is a citizen and belongs to one of the races specified by state law, as indigenous to the state”.
Wan Junaidi said the bill would be tabled for second reading at the current Dewan Rakyat session.
Meanwhile, in a statement, he said the bill marked the beginning of a new chapter in the nation’s history and the first steps towards restoring the fundamental rights and principles on which the federation was created.
“After several attempts and many years of hard work, this is indeed a watershed moment in the history of the Federation of Malaysia, more so, for the people of Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
He said this journey would not have been possible without the support and blessings of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Wan Junaidi said the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) chaired by the prime minister had agreed to the proposals submitted to redefine some provisions in the Federal Constitution, within the context of the agreement.
He said all the necessary groundwork for this initiative had been completed, including engagements with both government and opposition MPs, as well as the chief ministers of Sabah and Sarawak.
The bill was supposed to be tabled on Oct 26 but had to be rescheduled because the Cabinet wanted to be briefed by the attorney-general on the amendments, he said.
The Cabinet later unanimously endorsed the proposed amendments, he said.