KUNAK – A Sabah lawmaker has chided Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin over his call to stop the “politicising” of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), saying that it only reveals his lack of concern on the crucial document.
Kunak rep Norazlinah Arif said Bung Moktar’s statement shows that he does not understand the significance of MA63.
She said Bung Moktar’s knowledge of the agreement that paved the way to the formation of Malaysia is so shallow that he even proposed a new deal to override the MA63.
She further said some of the terms in the agreement are already incorporated in the federal constitution, such as the 40% special grant to the state.
“What Bung said does not make sense, and he is treating lightly the rights of the state,” she said here today.
“Sabah was supposed to be given its 40% entitlement. Bung himself is aware that Sabah is the poorest state in Malaysia as a result of the non-payment of the entitlement.
“It is better for Bung to focus on matters which have already been sealed in the MA63 in an effort to correct the violation of the agreement,” she said.
Norazlinah reiterated that 17 of the 21 demands in relation to MA63 state rights have been agreed to by the federal government during the Warisan-led Sabah administration.
She said several of the demands had been met then. There are four more pertinent demands which are yet to be fulfilled, she added.
Bung Moktar and other MPs should not be afraid to talk about the matter and demand that the violation of the state’s rights be redressed, she stressed.
Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah and Sarawak Affairs, had last month led a team of experts and researchers from Sabah, together with officials from Putrajaya, to retrieve all documents related to MA63 available at the National Archives in London.
He described the London fact-finding mission on the issue as fruitful, saying they are now analysing the documents for the benefit of the Sabah government in its effort to reclaim state rights as stated under the agreement. – The Vibes, July 5, 2022
