THE state government should continue demanding the return of eroded rights and the fulfillment of promises as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) said Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
In his first address opening the assembly since his appointment as Sarawak’s eighth Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Wan Junaidi said the close cooperation and relationship the state government had with the federal government could realise all of Sarawak’s demands.
Wan Junaidi said Sarawak’s demands should be made in line with what had been agreed in MA63, provisions in the federal constitution, and the laws of the country.
He also said in Sarawak’s efforts to accelerate its socioeconomic development and infrastructure, “we need a continuous commitment from the federal government”.
He said this is especially so in crucial areas such as education, healthcare, border security and the construction of major road networks.
Border security, Wan Junaidi pointed out, is among the matters that needed urgent attention from the federal government.
He said a lot more Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) complexes, as well as border control posts between Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam and Kalimantan, Indonesia, need to be built.
The ageing existing ICQS facilities, he said, too needed to be upgraded.
“These facilities are crucial for ensuring national security and facilitating the control of goods and movement of people in cross-border trade.
Wan Junaidi said the federal government’s commitment of support is also required in the construction of major roads, flood mitigation projects, river and coastal erosion control, as well as telecommunications, water supply, and electricity infrastructure.
“I hope that the federal government will continue to be committed and implement basic infrastructure projects in Sarawak to ensure the well-being of the people and to serve as a catalyst for its socioeconomic development,” he said. – May 6, 2024.
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