Sunday Times 2
COSLAM presents case for Malay representation in Parliament
View(s):Responding to President Maithripala Sirisena’s call to make any further proposals to the draft 20th Amendment to the Constitution by noon on
T.B. Jayah: Lanka’s first Malay lawmaker
May 13, the president of the Conference of Sri Lanka Malays (COSLAM) has in a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena, has renewed the call to restore Malay representation in parliament.
In a media statement, COSLAM said it first made such an appeal on May 4, 2002 when it adopted a unanimous resolution to this effect at a Special General Session at the Public Library Auditorium, Colombo 7. A copy of this resolution was handed over to the then Constitutional Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris at the 42nd Death Anniversary Commemoration Meeting of Al Haj Dr. T. B. Jayah on May 31 at the Ghafoor Hall, Zahira College, Colombo.
Thereafter, on December 2, 2003, a four-member delegation led by the COSLAM President appeared before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms chaired by Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena and renewed this very reasonable request. They even discussed the modalities of selecting a person of the community in the event that this request was accepted in principle.
Further, on October 22, 2013, a three-member delegation led by the COSLAM President appeared before a Parliamentary Select Committee set up to recommend and report on political and constitutional measures to empower the peoples of Sri Lanka to live as one nation. COSLAM presented its case for Malay representation at this committee chaired by Nimal Siripala De Silva.
Pointing out that as the Malays are a distinct ethnic community with a language and culture of their own, professing the religion of Islam, unable to elect one of its own under any electoral system due to the fact that they are scattered all over the island, COSLAM calls for the restoration of the Malay seat in parliament.
| Malays who adorned Sri Lanka’s legislature Dr. T. B Jayah 1924 – 1930 – Legislative Council |