Special council on MA63 to discuss Sabah, Sarawak rights on Oct 14

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysians are expected to have a clearer idea of what the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MKMA63) have discussed concerning Sabah and Sarawak rights come Oct 14.

This follows the scheduled tabling of outcomes and resolutions of all four working committees involved in the MKMA63 meeting which would be chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Thursday (Oct 14).

The meeting would be attended by both Sabah and Sarawak Chief Ministers, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, respectively.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said among the issues discussed through this special council included rights and safeguards of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as security matters.

He said under this new team, the terms of reference were all-encompassing which cover Sabah and Sarawak’s rights and safeguards, socio-economic development and financial legal commitments and conditions.

It also covered issues like illegal immigrants and immigration, security and border controls as well as socio-economic development, he said.

"The Special Cabinet Committee on Reviewing the Implementation of MA63 (JKKKMA63) focused only on issues of rights, safeguards, and other legal aspects of MA63," Ongkili said after the Security Working Committee meeting with Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin in Putrajaya on Tuesday (Oct 12).

The Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president said that during the meeting, issues discussed were joint security issues faced by Sabah and Sarawak and action taken by security agencies to ensure that border security is always maintained by national security bodies.

"The committee also discussed papers about citizenship issues of the orang asal (indigenous people), or natives of both Sabah and Sarawak who have yet to have citizenship documents," Ongkili said.