KUALA LUMPUR: The passing of the Bill to amend the Federal Constitution on the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) by more than a two-thirds Parliament majority on Tuesday (Dec 14) is proof of Malaysia’s spirit of unity in diversity, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       The Prime Minister said the approval of the Bill marked a new history for the country and hoped that the Malaysian Family in Sabah and Sarawak could enjoy all its benefits and advantages.

       “By the grace of Allah, the proposed constitutional amendment on the definition of states in the Federation involving Sabah and Sarawak related to MA63 received the approval of backbenchers and the Opposition MPs present in the Dewan Rakyat.

       “Congratulations and appreciations are in order for MPs in the Dewan Rakyat who supported this Bill,” said Ismail Sabri in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Dec 15).

       On Tuesday, the Dewan Rakyat passed the Bill to amend the Federal Constitution related to the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) to give recognition to the claims and special status of Sabah and Sarawak when they joined Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia.

       A total of 200 MPs voted in favour of the Bill on the second reading, while 20 others were absent.

       On the third reading, 199 MPs voted in favour of it, while 21 others were absent.

       Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the amendment would see MA63 placed on par with the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948 and the Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957.

       Wan Junaidi further said that by recognising MA63 in the Federal Constitution, the government could now refer to all the promises made in 1963 in detail and stated in the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) report, which is an in-depth study of the Cobbold Commission Report on Sabah and Sarawak’s claims. – Bernama