KOTA KINABALU – The federal constitution should be amended to clearly identify the three remaining partners in the federation, reflecting the true spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) as stated in the proclamation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
Kitingan said this means that the first paragraph of Article 1(2) of the constitution should only mention Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak.
“Following that, it can list the states of Malaya, the five residencies of Sabah, and the six divisions of Sarawak,” he said in a statement after attending the second MA63 working committee online meeting today.
Kitingan said the division of the three regions would result in better economic growth and more equitable distribution of development funds.
He noted that the residency system practised during the colonial time in Sabah, or North Borneo, saw five residencies: Tawau, also known as the East Coast Residency; Sandakan, the West Coast, Kudat, and the Interior.
Each residency was subdivided into smaller administrative units, which included districts and villages.
Besides administrative issues, Kitingan also said he wanted fairer representation of Sabah and Sarawak in Parliament even though the issue is not explicitly stated in the Inter-Governmental Committee Report.
The Keningau MP said Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore accounted for approximately 35% of the number of MPs during the formation of Malaysia.
“Following Singapore’s secession in 1965 and subsequent political manoeuvring in the 1970s and 1980s, Malaya’s parliamentary seats increased further.
“In the meantime, the number of parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak has barely increased to the point where the previous 65:35 ratio has now become 75:25.
“With such a paltry number, Malaya can easily pass any law they want with a two-thirds majority, even if all of Sabah and Sarawak’s MPs are opposed,” he said.
Kitingan said that several other issues concerning MA63 should be deliberated further, but he is hopeful that these two major issues will be addressed as soon as possible. – The Vibes, October 11, 2021
