See Chee How
KUCHING (Aug 15): Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How says it is regrettable that the aspiration of Sarawakians and Sabahans for greater autonomy is not included in the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin’s proposal to forge bipartisan cooperation.
The Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) presidential council member said the people of Sarawak and Sabah aspired not just greater autonomy, but also speedy devolution of powers to subject matters according to the Malaysia Agreement 1963, Inter-Governmental Report and the Cobbold Commission Report.
He believed these should have been among the proposals to forge bipartisan cooperation to enable the federal government to function well and handle the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said it is presumptuous of the prime minister and his federal cabinet colleagues that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), a partner in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government, would continue to deliver all their votes to the PN government.
“Their failure to look after the bigger interests of Sarawak and Sarawakians to safeguard Sarawak’s autonomy and special rights may be punished in the looming state election, which would upset the balance of power at the national level.
“GPS, which has four full federal ministers including a senior minister, should have immediately recommended to include the MA63 issue into the national bipartisan reconciliation effort, to show that the ruling coalition is more concerned about the bigger interests of the people, and not the interests of individual MPs and partisan concerns,” he said in a statement yesterday.
See also hoped that the chief minister would direct his GPS MPs, particularly the cabinet ministers, to include the review and implementation of the safeguards and restoration of Sarawak (and Sabah’s) autonomy and special position and rights pursuant to the MA63, the reports and recommendations of the IGC and Cobbold Commission.
Muhyiddin in his special address Friday evening had expressed his willingness to work with parties outside of PN following a scheduled vote of confidence in Parliament.
Muhyiddin had said after the confidence vote is done, there would be a more stable and inclusive government that recognises bipartisan input in managing the pandemic as well as promising several institutional reforms and a general election before July next year.
Among the offers Muhyiddin made during the televised address included equal annual allocations for all MPs regardless of their political parties, increasing the ceiling for the Covid-19 fund by RM45 billion to RM65 billion to RM110 billion, additional aid for the people including the M40, and 50 per cent of places in the parliamentary select committees for opposition members.
Muhyiddin also said that if the government successfully gets more than two-thirds support, it would table a law to amend the Federal Constitution to limit the term of prime minister to just two terms and also an anti-hopping bill.