KOTA KINABALU: The proposal to hold a special sitting to debate on the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63) issue should have been backed by all of Sabah's elected representatives, both from the government and opposition, alike.
United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) Youth chief Felix Joseph Saang said although the issue is currently being debated in Parliament, the special sitting should still take place so that the Sabah Legislative Assembly could listsen and study the suggestions, views, and needs of the people of Sabah, through the state elected representatives.
"The people of Sabah can see that the Sarawak government is more forward-looking, courageous, and open in pursuing MA63 rights.
"It is very shocking and sad when the GRS government decided that there is no need to hold a special state assembly sitting to discuss the MA63 rights.
"Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan once told Parliament that the issue of MA63 should be debated in the Sabah state assembly sitting. Why did he keep silent when the Chief Minister (Datuk Hajiji Noor) announced that there was no need to do so?" said Felix in a statement.
He was commenting on Hajiji's speech in the recent sitting where the latter had said that there is no need to hold the sitting as the MA63 issue and the Bill to amend the Federal Constitution, had been tabled in Parliament and would soon be debated.
Hajiji said this in his response to Datuk Ewon Benedick (Upko-Kadamaian) and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal's (Warisan-Senallang) questions on the proposal, during the state assembly's winding-up session on Wednesday.
Felix said Sabahans believe that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili had failed to deliver his promise to resolve the MA63 issue within six months.
Therefore, Felix stressed that the Sabah government should support the proposal.
"How to resolve MA63 if there is no openness and determination from the state government to discuss this matter?
"We are not surprised if the leaders of Umno and Bersatu Sabah remain silent on this matter since they have to abide by their central leadership in (the peninsula)," he said.
Felix added that the MA63 issue is important, critical, and one of the main struggles and dreams of the people of Sabah, for so long.
"We know the MA63 issue is being debated in Parliament, but why did GRS avoid discussing this issue in the stste assembly?
"A close debate between all Sabah elected representatives (government and opposition) in the state assembly will produce a more effective and meaningful consensus in resolving MA63, rather than merely relying on debates in Parliament, by lawmakers from other states who don't quite understand the struggle of Sabahans," he said. - NST
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