KUCHING: The implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) should have been carried out in stages over the past 60 years.
Senate president Tan Sri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the delay has slowed Sarawak and Sabah’s economic growth.
If action began in 1963, Sarawak and Sabah would’ve seen better progress.
“Peninsular Malaysia is smaller in size. But Sarawak and Sabah, with their large areas and fewer people, face special challenges,” Wan Junaidi explained.
Building roads, bridges, and other facilities in these areas need a lot of money.
“If the government had invested sooner, the development difference would be less now,” he shared on the Keluar Sekejap podcast hosted by Khairy Jamaluddin, a former federal minister, and former UMNO youth chief, Shahril Hamdan today (Sept 16).
Wan Junaidi pointed out that some laws, like the Petroleum Development Act 1974, affected Sarawak and Sabah without them being asked properly.
“Before, people didn’t voice concerns because of laws like the Internal Security Act (ISA). But times have changed. It’s clear we need fair growth, even if it’s expensive,” he said.
He added the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sarawak and Sabah costs billions of ringgit, showing how vital phased promises from 1963 are.
“The main problem is that the 1963 promise wasn’t done bit by bit. If it was, Sarawak and Sabah wouldn’t feel left out. Sarawak remains a strong supporter of the Federation of Malaysia,” he said.
