RANTAU POLLS | Umno and BN MPs were the cause for the Federal Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 failing to get two-thirds majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, says PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar said the government needed 148 votes for the two-thirds majority required to pass the bill, but could only garner 138 votes after MPs from the opposition bloc abstained from voting.

“Umno and BN (MPs) did not reject, but did not vote. 

"They just abstained with their own excuses. It’s all right, but we can all see the bill was very clear,” he said at a Pakatan Harapan rally in conjunction with the Rantau by-election last night.

The bill, which was tabled and debated for nearly seven hours yesterday, was part of efforts by the Harapan government to restore the original status of Sabah and Sarawak, as enshrined in the agreement for the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

It was tabled by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for second reading. 

However, it did not get through bloc voting, which resulted in 138 MPs supporting the amendment, none rejecting and 59 abstaining.

Anwar explained that the amendment to the Federal Constitution was among the promises made in Harapan’s manifesto for the 14th general election last year.

“I am satisfied. I stood up to support Mahathir’s motion for Harapan because we fulfilled our promise, and that promise is in line with the Federation of Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said.

- Bernama