KOTA KINABALU – Invoke Article 8 of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), urges Datuk Darell Leiking (Warisan-Moyog), saying this will give Sabah more bargaining powers with Putrajaya.
“Sabah should continue to pursue what is in the MA63. Maybe the previous Pakatan Harapan government was not able to implement Article 8, but this (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) government should consider doing this.
“If it is implemented in the Sabah legislative assembly, we are (effectively) endorsing the MA63 as a legitimate document and the federal government cannot ‘play’ with us.
“We must ratify Article 8 to allow us to have more negotiating position with Putrajaya,” he said in his state budget speech here today.
Article 8 of the MA63 states that the governments of the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak can take legislative, executive or other actions as may be required to implement the assurances, undertakings and recommendations contained in Chapter 3, and the Annexes A to B, of the Report of the Inter-Governmental Committee signed on February 27, 1963, in so far as they are not implemented by express provision of the constitution.
Sabah has long called for the restoration of state rights as held in the MA63.
For instance, Sabah and Sarawak statuses as equal partners to the Federation of Malaya in the Federation of Malaysia.
Other state rights include Sabah's special grant that stipulates it is entitled to 40% of revenue collected by the federal government from the state.
Putrajaya has opted to pay a fix amount, as opposed to 40% in annual staggered amount, since 1974.
Leiking also called for the state government to restore the 90-day social visa entry for Sarawakians to travel to Sabah, saying the non-limitation has caused an uneven economy between Sabah and the neighbouring state.
“I am aware that this is a very sensitive issue. But I know the Sarawak people will respect us if we implement the ruling.
“We need the ruling so we can also monitor those from Sarawak and their undertakings in the state.”
For instance, there are more Sarawak vehicles entering Sabah due to the non-restriction, indicating their presence here may have already disrupted local car sales, he said.
He also rubbished the parliamentary assertion by the home minister that immigration powers are the right of the federal government, saying Sabah has powers over immigration rights on those entering the state. – The Vibes, December 22, 2020
