KUCHING: The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Women's wing hopes the proposal to update the definition of "natives" in the Federal Constitution can be tabled and passed in Parliament.
Its chief, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said it was necessary to reclassify the terms for native communities in the race columns instead of only using the category "lain-lain" (others), to give a better picture of who are natives.
She said all the races and natives should be included in the Federal Constitution once the proposal for the updated definition or amendment was passed.
"It should result in a much better understanding of the numerous races that comprise the natives of Sarawak, who have distinct cultures, traditions and languages of their own. These characteristics are what make Sarawak so unique," she said after chairing the PBB Women's wing supreme council meeting here today.
She said by updating the term's definition, with the guidance of the Council for Native Customs and Traditions, which is the authority on the subject, it will definitely go a long way in making the Federal Constitution a more inclusive document.
"As such, we sincerely hope the proposed amendment can be tabled and passed in this Parliamentary session," she added.
Last week, Sarawak Assistant Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Minister Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali had said the definition of natives in the Federal Constitution does not accurately reflect the numerous different races of the natives in Sarawak.
She had said very often, apart from the races of Malays, Chinese and Dayaks, the rest of the natives would be conveniently categorised as "others".
On a separate matter, PBB Women welcomed the ruling of the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Sept 9, which allows Malaysian mothers to confer their citizenship to children who are born abroad.
Fatimah, who is Sarawak Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister, said children of Malaysian mothers who were born abroad are entitled to Malaysian citizenship by operation of law.
She said by right, they are automatically recognised as citizens without the need to make any application.
"We are glad to learn that the High Court in this case made the decision to uphold the principles of justice and fairness towards women and the principles of gender equality."
For decades, she said, Malaysian mothers with children born abroad were denied such fundamental rights as a mother's own ability to confer onto her own children her citizenship.
"As a key player in shaping policies and programmes on women in Sarawak and an active advocate for the fair treatment of all women and for gender equality, we believe this decision is in line with Malaysia's commitment in international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), to uphold gender equality and the principle of non-discrimination against women of which Malaysia is a signatory thereto."
Fatimah said certain archaic laws including certain provisions in the Federal Constitution that are not gender sensitive will need to be amended so as to eliminate gender discrimination.