PM pledges to resolve outstanding MA63 matters in stages

 

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob at a meet-and-greet programme with the people of Libaran at the Gum Gum People’s Housing Project. (Bernama pic)

SANDAKAN: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has expressed his commitment to resolve all outstanding matters in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) in stages.

Ismail, who is also MA63 special committee chairman, said this was to ensure that every agreement enshrined in MA63 could be fulfilled to bring about significant changes, including in Sabah.

He said many things had been achieved through the MA63 special committee, including petroleum cash payments from Petronas and sales tax on petroleum products to the state worth almost RM5 billion.

“I am the chairman of the (special committee), which meets every month with Sabah represented by the chief minister (Hajiji Noor). I have given the commitment to resolve all outstanding matters in MA63 in stages.

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“This is the commitment of the federal government, and I believe with what we are giving through MA63, Insya-Allah, big changes will take place in Sabah,” he said in his speech at a meet-and-greet programme with the people of Libaran at the Gum Gum People’s Housing Project here today.

Also present were Sabah deputy chief minister Bung Moktar Radin, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, and BN candidate for the Libaran parliamentary seat Suhaimi Nasir.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Ismail said he held a meeting with Hajiji and Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg every month to discuss unresolved issues related to MA63.

“Every month, we will make a checklist of things that have not been resolved yet.

“We have also discussed plans on Sabah’s future in terms of creating a company dealing with the production of petroleum so that Sabah can also own equity holdings related to the sale of oil,” he said.

When asked about the time frame for resolving outstanding matters in the agreement, Ismail said the government did not have a specific target but would try its best to do it as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, Ismail said, the BN-led government would continue to give priority to developing Sabah, as can be seen in the RM6.3 billion allocation for the state in Budget 2023, the highest allocation in the country.

He said the allocation was the federal government’s commitment, among others, to improve the rural road infrastructure, upgrade dilapidated schools and rural clinics and speed up the development of broadband infrastructure in Sabah through the National Digital Network (Jendela) plan.

“We will ensure that the issue of dilapidated schools and rural clinics (in Sabah) is resolved. In addition, we aim to resolve (internet coverage problems) and achieve 100% 4G internet coverage in Sabah within two years,” he said. -- FMT