Dewan Rakyat passes Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021

A total of 200 Members of Parliament (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.

Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun said the bloc voting was done as Article 159 of the Federal Constitution stated that such a Bill shall not be passed unless it has been supported on the second and third readings by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of MPs.

He said no MP voted against the Bill on both readings.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar when tabling the Bill earlier today, said the amendments were made to strengthen the position of Sabah and Sarawak in the Federation of Malaysia.

When winding up the debate on the Bill, Wan Junaidi said the issues of Sabah and Sarawak, especially pertaining to education, health and basic infrastructure had always been part of the government's main agenda.

In fact, he said those issues were being looked into by the committee set under the Special Council on MA63.

When asked why the amendments to Article 1 (2) of the Federal Constitution brought forth in 2019 by the then Pakatan Harapan government did not receive the two-thirds majority, Wan Junaidi said it was because there was not enough time for the MPs to present give their suggestions.

"Our objection is for an amendment to also be made on Article 160 but at that time, the blue paper was being tabled at the Dewan Rakyat and we only had 10 days before the second reading, so we cannot present our proposed amendments, which needed a 14-day notice," he said.

A total of 28 MPs, most of whom were from Sabah and Sarawak, took part in the debate of the Bill.

The Bill proposed to amend Clause 2 of Article 1 of the Federal Constitution to say the states of the Federation comprises:

(a) the states of Malaya namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor and Terengganu; and

(b) the Borneo states, Sabah and Sarawak.

It is also to amend Clause 2 of Article 160 to insert a new definition of "Malaysia Day" and to change the definition of "the Federation" in line with the spirit of MA63 signed on 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 aimed to amend Article 161A by replacing Clause 6 (a) to say that in regard to Sarawak, the indigenous races of Sarawak are as stated in the state law; and also to remove Clause 7.