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Datuk John Sikie Tayai
KUCHING (May 23): The State Legislative Assembly (DUN) was told yesterday that further deliberations and review of the proposed conditions and requirements of the Interpretation (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 need to be made first before it can be enforced.
Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk John Sikie Tayai said the conditions and requirements for the recognition of a person who is a citizen and natural born child of a person of a race indigenous to Sarawak as a native of Sarawak – as stipulated in the Interpretation (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 – have been drafted and discussed among the relevant government agencies.
“However, due to the importance, complexity of this matter, its impact on the people of Sarawak and to safeguard the special position and rights of the natives of Sarawak as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, it was decided that further deliberation and review of the proposed conditions and requirements be made to ensure that the said proposal is suitable, reasonable and practical.
“Most importantly, the new conditions and requirements would not cause inconvenience to the people of Sarawak before the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government gazettes the enforcement of the Ordinance,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech yesterday.
Sikie was responding to Baru Bian (PSB-Ba Kelalan), who when debating the motion of thanks for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s address on May 18 queried why the gazettement of an amendment which would confer the native status to children of mixed marriages was delayed despite being passed last year.
Baru had said it had been over a year since the amendment bill was passed under the state Interpretation Ordinance 2022 and the delay in gazetting it had caused inconvenience and anxiety to many natives who are of mixed parentage.
According to Baru, there are still instances of children of mixed marriages between natives and non-natives encountering various problems in matters of land transfers, inheritance and entry into educational institutions.
On another matter, Sikie said the Sarawak government does not prevent industries in Sarawak from employing foreign workers even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added the Sarawak government has also implemented the Recalibration Plan for Illegal Foreign Immigrants (Pati) in which the Workforce Recalibration Programme (RTK) is aimed at regularising Pati in Sarawak as legal foreign workers to be employed by eligible employers subject to conditions and criteria.
“According to records from the Immigration Department of Malaysia, Sarawak, a total of 4,532 Patis have been approved involving various sectors. This can simultaneously help solve the issue of labour shortages and give employers the opportunity to employ Patis to work legally.
“This programme will continue this year under the Workforce Recalibration Programme (RTK) 2.0,” he added.
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