SIBU, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- The Myconstitution Campaign, to promote better public knowledge and understanding of the Federal Constitution, will begin here after the Chinese New year celebration.

Its local organising chairman, Andrian Chew of the Sibu branch of the Advocates Association of Sarawak (AAS), said his committee would hold interactive workshops starting with upper secondary and university students to explain the Federal Constitution and the concept of constitutionalism.

"We will be distributing a series of booklets called the People's Guide (Panduan Rakyat).

"There will be nine booklets altogether written in English and Bahasa Malaysia of which the first one is currently available. We hope to come up with Chinese, Iban and Indian versions later," he told reporters here today.

He said most malaysians had never picked up a copy of the Constitution.

"Many have never read it, thinking it is unimportant while not many are curious about it.

"Some people feel it is a legal document only for lawyers and academicians and that it is a complicated document and hard to understand."

Chew said since the last general election in 2008, things had changed and Malaysians were now more interested in the many issues affecting them including the Constitution.

He said the campaign had actually been started by the Bar Council's 99-member Constitutional Law Committee and was launched in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 13 last year.

In Sarawak, he said it would be carried out by AAS with the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum expected to do the state-level launching in Kuching on April 10.

Chew said the campaign was not political and the association members did not intend to give their views, opinions or interpretation of it or on current issues.

"Among our initiatives within the two years of the campaign, we will organise a series of talks, forums, debates, lectures and workshops. In addition, we will produce a series of public service advertisements on nine major themes of the Constitution," he said.

Organisations and others interested in the campaign can contact the association at 084-343411 (Nora) or email to aas.myconstitution@gmail.com.