KOTA KINABALU – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is merely finishing what Warisan had started in restoring Sabah’s rights to be in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), said Datuk Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari.
The Warisan information chief said they have been consistent in fighting for Sabah’s rights under the agreement since the party was formed in October 2016, led by its president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
“Yesterday, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Md Noor announced that GRS supports the bill to amend the federal constitution to be in line with MA63, and that it is the result of the hard work of Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers through the MA63 Special Council.
“The results can be seen now that Sabah and Sarawak’s rights to issue deep-sea fishing licences have been returned. But I would like to stress that the right to issue this license is one of the 17 claims that had been approved by the Pakatan Harapan government last year.
“The return of the Sipadan and Ligitan Islands’ management to Sabah in April this year is one of the 17 claims made by Warisan and the Sarawak government,” he said in a statement today.
The Petagas rep said Sabah and Sarawak now being called “the Borneo States” – as stated in Article 1(2) of the constitution – is one of Warisan Plus’ claims that had been brought to Parliament, but was not supported by Umno and Gabungan Parti Sarawak MPs.
Regardless whether GRS is taking credit for the achievement, Awang said Warisan still has a lot of work to do until the federal government returns all of Sabah’s rights.
“The federal government still owes us other claims, such as the right to monitor gas and power distribution in Sabah, which has been approved in Sarawak.
“Another of Warisan Plus’ claims is the Territorial Sea Act 2012, which has been agreed (to reject the act) in the state assembly last September,” he said.
He called for all Warisan members to continue fighting for Sabah’s dignity through MA63. – The Vibes, December 5, 2021
