KOTA KINABALU – The move to return administrative control over the popular tourism islands of Sipadan and Ligitan to Sabah from the federal authority’s hands, as was announced earlier this week, is not new as it was also decided by the previous federal government under Pakatan Harapan (PH), say a trio of opposition lawmakers.
All three politicians said that the return of the islands back to Sabah was part of the 17 demands which had already been agreed upon in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) talks during PH rule.
Datuk Christina Liew, who was then the state tourism, culture and environment minister, said that the matter was already deliberated upon and a commitment was made by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his tenure in 2019.
“It is heartening to note that the federal government today has made good the commitment by the then PH government,” said the Tawau MP and state assembly representative for Api-Api.
“We hope other outstanding issues pertaining to MA63 will be resolved in due course.”
In retrospect, Liew – who is also state PKR chief – said it was already widely publicised in July 2019 that Putrajaya was ready to hand over the management of Sipadan island back to Sabah.
According to her, the matter was made public and that then Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal had raised the Sipadan and Ligitan islands matter in several discussions with Dr Mahathir when the latter chaired the special cabinet committee on the implementation of MA63.
Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, who is part of the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government, declared that the administration of the two islands near Semporna would be handed to Sabah.
He also announced that Sarawak would now have full control of distribution rights of gas from the state.
This comes following the MA63 meeting between the heads of governments of Sabah, Sarawak, and Putrajaya on April 13.
Ongkili had claimed that the process of returning the islands was not done accordingly by the PH government.
For Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin, there is no need for the matter to have assent a second time since it was already agreed to under the past federal government.
The state DAP secretary noted that the previous PH government has already agreed to 17 of 21 demands made by Sabah on MA63, and these included control over the two islands.
“What went through my mind was – hasn’t the cabinet under (Dr) Mahathir already agreed to this earlier during Pakatan Harapan’s rule?
“Is Ongkili trying to say that (current Prime Minister and Bersatu president Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) did not agree to the return of Sipadan and Ligitan islands back when he was part of the PH cabinet? Or was he absent during the cabinet meeting?” he said.
Muhyiddin was in the previous government as home minister before his party separated from PH and led the formation of PN which took over the reins of power.
Chan, who was part of the PH-era Technical Committee on MA63, said the return of the islands was described as a “low-hanging fruit” and was the first issue to be agreed upon within the first few meetings.
“It was noted that while the issuance of diving licences (now under Sabah) was a lucrative industry generating millions each year, it made no sense for it to continue under the National Security Council (NSC) and so it was let go,” he explained.
The management of the islands were under the NSC due to security threats in Sabah’s east coast areas. Proceeds from collection of fees collected by the state statutory body Sabah Parks for visitors entering the island were given to NSC.
The Vibes is made to understand the collection of fees was no longer channelled to NSC from 2019 onwards after the decision.
Chan stressed that the issue of the islands is one of the 17 demands agreed upon by Putrajaya during PH time, from the 21 under contention.
“In late 2019, the then deputy law minister Hanipa Maidin had said in the Dewan Rakyat that 17 issues had been resolved,” he said.
“They included the administration of Sipadan and Ligitan islands. No dispute has been raised since then regarding the same.
“Even after the collapse of the PH government, I had managed to put in a question in Parliament’s special chambers on July 28, 2020 and Deputy Sarawak and Sabah Affairs Minister Hanifah Hajar Taib informed me that the government via the Sabah, Sarawak Affairs Division under the Prime Minister’s Department is monitoring the implementation of the 17 demands.”
“In late 2019, the then deputy law minister Hanipa Maidin had said in the Dewan Rakyat that 17 issues had been resolved,” he said.
Chan explained that the wording used by Hanifah was “telah diputuskan oleh jawatankuasa” (has been approved by the committee). “Surely her words are not misleading,” he said.
He also noted that on November 23, 2020, Ongkili himself had admitted in Parliament that the 17 demands had been met by the previous special committee, during his Budget 2021 winding-up speech.
“So, is the administration of Sipadan and Ligitan not part of the 17? Why is there a need for Muhyiddin to assent a second time as if there wasn’t one (decision made) previously?
“Why hide the contribution and role of Pakatan Harapan and Warisan in the achievement? Why is Ongkili misleading Sabahans now and claiming credit which PN is absolutely not entitled to?” said Chan, adding that Muhyiddin was also part of the PH cabinet then and therefore is in the know of the matter.
“For Ongkili to now say that it was ‘mere commitment to resolve 17 issues’ is utterly misleading and a blatant attempt by PN to hold Sabahans to ransom for the 17 items already agreed upon, of which the administration of Sipadan and Ligitan is one of them.
“Yes indeed, perhaps the relevant statute or by-laws were not in place yet when the PH government collapsed – but for Muhyiddin to now say that ‘he agrees’, and yet not putting in the relevant laws in place, is plain dishonesty, and it is just misleading Sabahans for the purposes of fishing their votes and not resolving the four remaining issues which even PH failed to come to an agreement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sepanggar MP Datuk Azis Jamman said Ongkili should have worked harder for the state to regain control of their oil and gas distribution.
Azis said this should have been the case instead of Ongkili reiterating the return of the Sipadan and Ligitan islands,
“There should be no reason for Ongkili to refute the struggles of Warisan. He himself should be united with the Sabah leaders who are also fighting for the return of state rights as stipulated under the MA63.
“Rather than twisting the facts and confusing Sabahans, I think it is better for Ongkili to start focusing on regaining Sabah’s rights to manage the distribution of oil in the state,” he said.
It is understood that out of the 21 demands Sabah has made, seven issues were resolved, nine were agreed to in principle but with no further action, while four were still not resolved. – The Vibes, April 16, 2021
