KOTA KINABALU – Peninsular Malaysia’s leaders, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, have been playing around with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 rhetoric, accused Datuk Ewon Benedick (Kadamaian-Upko) today.
He said Ismail himself voted against the constitutional amendment of Article 1(2) in April 2019, even though his Umno colleagues had used the MA63 issue to win the Kimanis by-election last year.
“We have heard the rhetoric used by the leaders from across the sea (Peninsular Malaysia) to implement MA63.
“I wish to put on record that the current prime minister has not supported the spirit of MA63 of the constitutional amendment of Article 1(2), that would restore Sabah and Sarawak’s statuses in Malaysia.
“This is what happens when a leader puts the party first and then the people,” he said during his debate speech on the state governor’s opening address of the legislative assembly today.
During the Kimanis by-election, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had dangled the MA63 carrot over voters, saying that if its candidate Datuk Mohamad Alamin wins the poll and Umno comes into power at federal level, the party will implement the agreement.
Similarly, Benedick also took a swipe against Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president elaborated, saying that a special motion demanding Putrajaya to restore the East Malaysian states to their original statuses as enshrined in the federal constitution can be done at the state assembly level.
He then expressed his hope that Lamag assemblyman Bung Moktar would support this motion and its constitutional amendment in the Dewan Rakyat.
Towards this end, Benedick said the state government of the day must show the aspiration of the people in Sabah, not the aspiration of their parties that are based in Peninsular Malaysia.
He also reiterated that the politics practised in Sabah may not be the same with the national parties’ political practice, but when it comes to MA63, all Sabah leaders must be united regardless of their political affiliations.
On another note, Benedick also expressed concern over the Home Affairs Ministry’s call to grant citizenship documents to undocumented Malaysians who are traced through vaccination drives.
He warned that the statement issued by Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said in Parliament recently that the government’s good intentions can be manipulated and abused by irresponsible parties.
“We want the state government to make a clear stand on this matter. If indeed the federal government plans to implement this, it will be very disappointing.
“It shows the state is friendly to the illegal immigrants,” he said.
Benedick said that Sabahans only want to know when the government will send the illegal immigrants home.
He reminded that even the election results of the Likas seat in 1999 was nullified after illegal immigrants with identity cards were found in the roll. – The Vibes, September 22, 2021
