Sarawak DAP has taken aim at state parties, particularly SUPP, for voting in favour a 1976 constitutional amendment which "downgraded" Sarawak from a region, equal to peninsular Malaysia, into a state.

"SUPP always claimed that it, being a Sarawak-based party, has been fighting for Sarawak's rights since its inception in the 1959.

"Yet, when the constitutional amendment was tabled in Parliament in 1976, its MPs supported the downgrading of Sarawak into one of the 13 states in Malaysia.

"The irony of the whole matter is, the so-called local parties supported the said 1976 constitutional amendment, which erode Sarawak's right, but on the other hand, DAP, a national party, voted against the 1976 constitutional amendment and defended Sarawak's status," Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said in a statement today.

Last Wednesday, Borneo Post, citing the Dewan Rakyat Hansard, showed all Sarawakian and Sabahan MPs either supported the constitutional amendment or were absent.

Only four MPs voted against the amendments. All four were from DAP, of which none were from East Malaysia.

Defending the constitution

Following this, SUPP secretary-general Sebastian Ting on Thursday apologised for how the party's MPs voted in 1974 and backed Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem's proposal to reverse the constitutional amendment.

However, Chong said a mere apology would not suffice.

Sorry or not, the 1976 constitution amendment demonstrated that SUPP was did not act in the best interest of Sarawak.

"This is about the status of Sarawak in Malaysia and an erosion of the rights of Sarawak. It is not a small and trivial matter.

"Therefore, now that it has been exposed, a simple 'sorry' without any revelation of truth behind the support for the amendment is just as irresponsible as voting for the said amendment," he said.

Chong also dismissed the notion that only Sarawak-based parties can defend the rights of Sarawakians and a national party like DAP cannot do so.

"The 1976 constitution amendment episode has proven again that DAP, a national party which stands for justice and equality, is the true defender of the constitution, both state and federal constitution and the defender of the interest of Sarawak and Sarawakians," he said.