KUCHING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must deliver his promises by honouring the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Political analyst Datuk Dr Jeniri Amir emphasised that this is crucial as the Borneo bloc could be kingmakers in the upcoming general election.
“Anwar can no longer rely on Barisan Nasional as their poor run in the polls might continue, so the Borneo bloc will be key (for) Pakatan Harapan in the next general election,” said Jeniri in a report by FMT.
Jeniri, who is a senior fellow in the Council of Professors said the initiative underscored the significance of Anwar’s approach towards Sabah and Sarawak, which should be more favorable than what previous administrations had done.
In the previous general election, Barisan Nasional (BN), the ruling party for over six decades, secured merely 30 out of the 222 parliamentary seats. This trend of poor performance persisted in the recent six state polls held on August 12, where BN managed to win just 19 out of the 108 seats it contested.
Jeniri emphasised the importance of honouring whatever is enshrined in MA63 that should be fulfilled and stressed the significance of Anwar’s efforts to bridge the socioeconomic disparities between East and West Malaysia.
He added that the Borneo bloc, an informal alliance comprising East Malaysian coalitions and parties supporting Anwar, is likely to maintain its endorsement of Anwar as the prime minister of Malaysia if he successfully addresses the commitments outlined in MA63.
Since assuming office, Anwar has taken measures such as increasing the annual special grants for Sarawak and Sabah and granting both governments the authority to oversee infrastructure projects valued at up to RM50 million within their respective states.
Additionally, he has reinstated state control over the regulation of Sabah’s gas supply.
Presently, Sabah and Sarawak collectively hold 56 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, constituting a quarter of the total 222 parliamentary seats.
