Minister Armizan Mohd Ali has challenged Warisan’s assertions regarding MA63 constitutional amendments and fishing licences, presenting a timeline that contradicts the party’s narrative.
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan has been cautioned against misleading the public by claiming it resolved the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution concerning Sabah and Sarawak’s status.
Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali stated that Warisan’s claims contradict the factual record.
He previously led the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Secretariat under the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division.
Armizan clarified that the proposed amendment was first tabled in 2019 when Warisan governed Sabah but failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
The amendment eventually passed in December 2021 with support from 200 Members of Parliament.
“This amendment occurred in 2021, during a time when Warisan was not leading the Sabah government and was also not part of the Federal Government,” said the Deputy Secretary-General of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.
The 2021 amendment reclassified Sabah and Sarawak as constituent regions within the Federation, moving from their previous definition as states alongside those in the Malay Peninsula.
Regarding deep-sea fishing licences, Armizan dismissed Warisan’s claim that it had advocated for and successfully addressed the issue.
He stated that all deep-sea fishing licences were issued by the Federal Government through the Department of Fisheries Malaysia until after the Warisan era.
“The delegation of licensing powers to Sabah only occurred after the Warisan era, namely in 2021,” he said.
The matter was agreed upon by the MA63 Special Council and approved by the Cabinet on Oct 29, 2021, followed by the Handing Over Ceremony of the Empowerment Letter on Dec 4, 2021.
Armizan emphasised that Sabah was led by GRS when these approvals and implementations occurred in 2021.
He noted that the delegation of deep-sea fishing powers does not require extensive time to implement once approval is granted.
