Sabah, Sarawak must be recognised as regions: Shafie Apdal
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In explaining further, former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said that the matter had also been approved in Parliament through an amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution.
"This, in fact, is the provision stated in Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution that has been approved.
"It is not that there is no need to restore the status of the region. This is actually one of the differences that allowed Sabah and Sarawak to be classified as regions and not states," he told reporters after attending the Tanjung Aru State Assemblyman Datuk Junz Wong Chinese New Year Open House.
His comments followed a response from former minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Legal and Parliament), Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar who said that the status of Sabah and Sarawak should remain as 'states' as spelled out in the Federal Constitution.
He, meanwhile, also explained the need to recognise Sabah and Sarawak as regions, considering the strength in power and rights that both states have.
"Why do we want to be recognised as a region? Because we have provisions. There are differences between other states and Sabah and Sarawak.
"Sarawak has immigration jurisdiction, Sarawak has jurisdiction rights or in Malaysia Agreement 1963.
"That is not enforced in other states, whether in Perlis or Johor. So we need to have a legal and constitutional basis that should not be disputed later," he added.
