Reports by TARRENCE TAN, STEPHANIE LEE and SHARON LING

       PETALING JAYA: The second attempt to amend the Federal Constitution to return Sabah and Sarawak to a position of equal status with Peninsular Malaysia is likely to gain bipartisan support from MPs across the political divide.

       MPs from among the backbenchers as well as the Opposition in the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak have noted their agreement for the Bill, which was last defeated in Parliament in 2019 after it failed to get two-thirds support.

       MPs from the peninsula contacted by The Star have said the Bill to amend Article 1 (2) of the Constitution to its original description of the federation should be supported by all MPs when it goes for debates under second reading in the Dewan Rakyat.

       The Bill, which also sought to amend Article 160 (2) of the Constitution, will be tabled for first reading by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili when Parliament reconvenes next Monday.

       Perikatan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said since the Bill was approved by the Cabinet, all backbencher MPs were required to support it.Beaufort MP Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun also said the Bill to return Sabah and Sarawak to a position of equal status with Peninsular Malaysia in the Federal Constitution must be supported by all MPs.

       “This is in line with the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia and so that Sabah and Sarawak can achieve equal status.

       “I urge all MPs to support this Bill,” said the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia MP.

       Pakatan Harapan lawmakers such as Subang MP Wong Chen and Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah had said “of course” when it came to pledging support for the constitutional amendment.

       PKR vice-president and Tanjong Malim MP Chang Lih Kang said the Bill would be supported by all Pakatan MPs as it was Pakatan which had first initiated it in 2019.

       Similar sentiments were expressed by PKR’s Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim, who regarded the proposed amendments as crucial.

       “It’s good to have a clear interpretation of Sabah and Sarawak’s status as per Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) incorporated in the Federal Constitution,” he said.

       Under the former Pakatan administration in 2019, the attempt to amend the Constitution failed after Pakatan failed to obtain the two-thirds parliamentary majority it needed.

       During 2019, the two-thirds vote majority, which amounted to 148 out of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, was needed to amend the Constitution.

       Pakatan only managed to secure 138 votes then when 59 MPs abstained from voting, among them Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) 18 MPs.

       At present, the two-thirds vote majority will mean 146 out of the 220 seats, following the deaths of Batu Sapi MP Datuk Liew Vui Keong (of Parti Warisan Sabah) and Gerik MP Datuk Hasbullah Osman (Umno).

       The Federal Government consists of 112 MPs – 52 from Perikatan, 42 from Barisan Nasional and 18 from GPS.

       In order to achieve the 146 figure, the Bill would require the bipartisan support of Opposition parties; Pakatan has 91 MPs, Warisan (eight), Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (four), Upko (one), Parti Sarawak Bersatu (two) and two Opposition-friendly Independents – Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Simpang Renggam MP Dr Maszlee Malik.

       Observers have also touted the constitutional amendment as an important factor leading up to the Sarawak state election, speculated to take place in December after the Melaka state election concludes on Nov 20.

       The upcoming Parliament session will commence next Monday and Budget 2022 will be tabled next Friday.

       This meeting will last 32 days and end on Dec 16.