KOTA KINABALU – Sarawak’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and Sabah STAR are of the view that non-local political parties are hampering the efforts of the East Malaysian states to regain their full rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Sabah STAR president and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan voiced his agreement with PBB vice-president and Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who said it is best for a local party to take lead in the state.
“I tend to agree with him (Karim). I hope things will change. I think there is no problem working together with Sarawak.
“We can do it through parliamentary representations but as far as the Sabah government is concerned, we want to make sure the dominant ruling party is a local one,” Jeffrey told The Vibes.
“We have visited them (Sarawak reps), of course, we will take note of what they say.”
Karim had said that control exerted by a non-Sabah party has been hampering the MA63 efforts.
“I believe they are quite envious of us, the full control we have,” he said, referring to Sarawak’s ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
GPS comprises PBB, the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and Progressive Democratic Party.
Last week, Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said that the presence of non-local parties in the state does not hinder the implementation of MA63.
Instead, the presence of national parties like Umno and Bersatu allows Sabah to “whisper to the federal leaders and the allocation will surely be obtained”.
Bung Moktar and Jeffrey are members of Sabah’s ruling parties, which include Umno, Bersatu and Sabah STAR, which are aligned to the federal government. – The Vibes, May 30, 2022
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