By Natasha Jee & Sarah Hafizah Chandra
SIBU: The Federal Government has been urged to ease the further negotiations on matter raised by the Sarawak Government on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
In making this call, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said it is the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government’s commitment to safeguard and restore Sarawak’s eroded rights and ensure MA63 is respected and implemented.
“As the head of the state government, I call on the federal government that the negotiation on MA63 is made easy for the good of the country as a whole,” he said during the Sarawak Day 2022 celebration at Sibu Indoor Stadium here tonight.
He then said self-governance was granted to Sarawak on July 22, 1963 and followed by the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963 was based on MA63.
“We are all aware that the agreement between the British government, the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah (North Borneo) including Singapore in 1963 is the basis of the formation of Malaysia that is recognised by the United Nations (UN).
“MA63 is a sacred agreement that cannot be changed or diluted in any way and in whatever form.
“What our Sarawak leaders had included then as provisions in the agreement as part of Malaysia were what they considered as necessary to protect the rights and interests of Sarawak and its people during their time, during our time and after our time,” he said.
For instance, he said the state’s rights as embodied in the Oil Mining Ordinance 1958 (OMO 1958) obviously existed before 1963, was never repealed, and shall always be enforced, thus giving the state the power over its onshore petroleum resources.
“Parliament recently passed amendments to recognise MA63 as the fundamental to the constitutional relationship between the parties forming Malaysia and the equal status of the parties.
“Suggestion for MA63 to be changed should not have been made at all, more so when some of the existing rights and privileges of Sarawak have either been eroded or yet to be honoured after 59 years,” he said.
The Premier stressed the only thing left to do is for the federal government to fully honour the agreement of the founding fathers of this nation in the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia, and not drag its feet.
