Allow debate on border issue to find out who is 'stupid' - Takiyuddin

 

Several opposition MPs have called for a debate in the Dewan Rakyat concerning the Malaysia-Indonesia border negotiations in south Sabah and north Kalimantan.

In a joint press conference today, Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan targeted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks, labelling the opposition as “stupid” for allegedly missing the facts about the border dispute in Pulau Sebatik.

“We were not allowed to debate, but we were called stupid. To find out who is stupid and who is not, open up a debate,” said the PAS secretary-general.

Anwar, who spoke during a town hall with students at a private university yesterday, said the opposition had accused him of committing treason after a news report claimed Malaysia had ceded thousands of hectares of its land in exchange for three villages along the Sabah-Kalimantan border.

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His remarks followed his ministerial briefing on the matter in the Dewan Rakyat earlier that day, during which he also described the claims of alleged “treason” as “lies and misinformation” from the opposition.

Sabah PN chief Ronald Kiandee today said the refusal to allow interjections or debate yesterday denied opposition lawmakers the opportunity to clarify outstanding matters, including related approvals at the state assembly level.

“The government appears to be very defensive on this issue. I think these matters require a forum for debate,” added the Beluran MP.

Meanwhile, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said he had filed a motion under Standing Order 18(1) and 18(2) to seek an urgent debate.

“As what Tambun (Anwar) himself explained yesterday, there are still many outstanding issues to be resolved,” he stressed.

Former foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah, also present at the press conference, previously told Malaysiakini that among the unanswered questions was why no details were provided on the residents on both sides who would be affected by the negotiations.

Border talks

Anwar had clarified that the 5,207ha of land recently claimed by Indonesia was not previously part of any nation.

Addressing the Dewan Rakyat, the prime minister explained that the area could not be regarded as belonging to any country as ownership of the land was subject to negotiations and a “boundary that has yet to be finalised.”

Anwar noted that, while there is mutual understanding between the two nations and approval of an agreement that has been finalised at the negotiation stage, all necessary processes related to the matter have not yet completed. - Mkini