KOTA KINABALU – Political observers here are puzzled by Putrajaya’s decision to not make public the final report by the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) special cabinet committee.
Former Sabah secretary Tan Sri Simon Sipaun said as far as he is aware, there is nothing secret about MA63.
“It is available to the public. The authorities must explain in specific terms the legal constraints, if any.
“It is not good enough to make a general statement that certain things cannot be disclosed on legal grounds. These must be specified.
“To me, I do not see any logic to not reveal the information associated with MA63 based on sensitivity and technicality. So, these things must be clarified.”
Meanwhile, MA63 activist Zainnal Ajamain said the reasons given by the federal government are illogical and merely an excuse to keep the report away from the public.
“It is not logical, it is just an excuse. What is so sensitive about MA63 that the public should not know (about)? Is it because Putrajaya ‘stole’ oil and gas from Sabah and Sarawak?
“Is Malaysia a country that does not respect the decision of the previous government?
“Datuk Hanifah Taib is a Sarawakian. (It is) one of (the states) that Putrajaya ‘stole’ from, so why the secrecy? Is she selling out to Putrajaya?” he said, referring to the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs.
“It is an open secret, I have been talking about this since 2014. People in Sabah and Sarawak are aware of their rights. Yet, there is no political upheaval in Sabah and Sarawak against Malaya.”
Yesterday, it was reported that the federal government will not make public the details of the report by the MA63 special cabinet committee.
Hanifah (GPS-Mukah), in the Dewan Rakyat, said the decision was made on legal grounds, taking into account the sensitivity and technicality of the report’s contents.
She said the final report was presented to the cabinet in December.
She was asked by Datuk Mohamad Azis Jamman (Warisan-Sepanggar) if Putrajaya intends to make public the final MA63 report. – The Vibes, November 18, 2020
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