Fulfil 100% of MA63, Warisan man tells Putrajaya

 

Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking said no ruling coalition had ever given its commitment to ensure the terms of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 are fully complied with.

PETALING JAYA: The government’s commitment to fulfil all the promises made in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) would be the most meaningful gift for Sabah on Malaysia Day, says Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking.

He said that while MA63 matters were often discussed, no government had been able to give its commitment to fulfil the promises in the agreement.

“Don’t just say (we) will discuss (about MA63 agreements). Make a stand that all the agreements between Sabah, Sarawak, and Malaya (as the federation was known at the time) must be completely fulfilled.

“We have not heard of any ruling coalition making a promise to fulfil 100% of the agreement, be it Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan, the ‘Sheraton Move’ government, or the unity government,” he told FMT.

Leiking, a former international trade and industry minister, said the special parliamentary committee formed in 2018 under the previous Pakatan Harapan administration managed to identify four main issues that were unresolved.

The four issues that were unresolved at the time were oil royalty payments and cash payments for petroleum; oil minerals and oil mining boundaries; the Territorial Sea Act 2012; and, Sabah and Sarawak’s rights to their continental shelves.

Since taking over the government last November, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has voiced his willingness to address part of the agreements in the MA63, and since January this year, the unity government has managed to address several items in the MA63.

Among them are giving Sabah power to oversee its natural gas supply to the state and appointing representatives from Sabah and Sarawak to the inland revenue board (LHDN).

In July, Putrajaya also increased the special grants for Sabah and Sarawak from RM260 million to RM300 million.

Anwar also gave both governments the authority to implement any infrastructure project that is valued at up to RM50 million in their respective states, without the need for approval from Putrajaya.

With the increase in the special grants, Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor said it was another clear indication that the state was on the right path towards getting its entitlement under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution. - FMT