KOTA KINABALU – All Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) issues should be resolved by next year following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s assurances, said Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
Anifah said Anwar had promised the people that the federal government will respect and implement the MA63 contents and thus, it is time for Sabah to intensify its fight for the 40% revenue return (special grant).
“Both governments must prioritise the implementation of Articles 112C and 112D of the federal constitution, which entitles Sabah to a 40% grant of all revenue the federal government collected from the state.
“The federal government has not paid Sabah the entitlement since 1973, thus denying the state much-needed funds to develop itself.
“Furthermore, the government has failed to hold the agreed review of the grant since 1974 with the state government, which is a breach of the constitution,” he said in a statement today.
The former foreign affairs minister said PCS has included in its memorandum to the federal government today a reminder that Articles 112C and 112D were part of the constitutional guarantees given to Sabah to form the Malaysian federation in 1963.
“Without such a guarantee, Sabah would not have agreed (to it),” he said.
Anifah said after years of neglect, the unity government must now return Sabah’s rights under MA63 and the federal constitution to allow all Malaysians to focus on unity and progress. –The Vibes, December 17, 2022.
