Sarawak wants all outstanding MA63 issues resolved by December
Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas says talks on the full implementation of MA63 have dragged on for nearly a decade.
PUTRAJAYA: Sarawak Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas says negotiations on the full implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) have gone on for almost a decade, making it crucial for outstanding matters to be settled promptly.
According to a statement, Uggah said this at the second meeting this year of the MA63 Implementation Action Council, chaired yesterday by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Mustapha Sakmud, who is deputy chairman of the council's technical committee.
The Putrajaya meeting was attended by representatives of the Sabah and Sarawak governments, including Deputy Premiers Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Status of the claims
The Prime Minister's Department's Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division told delegates that 13 matters had been fully resolved, five settled on an interim basis, and two remained unresolved despite policy decisions having been made.
Four issues are still under discussion, while five have been referred to the "highest level" in Putrajaya for consideration.
Among the key MA63 matters already settled by Putrajaya is the handover of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd to the Sabah government. Matters still being negotiated include additional parliamentary seats for East Malaysia and the development of the Sabah and Sarawak borders with Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Main issues raised
Uggah said the main issues discussed yesterday included Kalimantan border development, increasing the number of state civil servants, the "Borneonisation" of federal services there, as well as health and education matters.
He said Mustapha had directed all federal ministries and agencies to cooperate in prioritising the resolution of outstanding MA63 issues to speed up the agreement's full implementation.
"The Sarawak government remains committed to working with the federal government and Sabah to ensure the comprehensive implementation of MA63, in line with the spirit of federalism while safeguarding the rights and interests of the people of Sabah and Sarawak," he added. (Quote translated from Malay.)
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