Govt committed to realising MA63, says Fadillah

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is committed to realising matters agreed upon in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to safeguard the well-being of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

He said many efforts and matters agreed upon in MA63 had been implemented within one month since the government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim governed the country.

"As an inclusive Malaysia, it is our responsibility to implement MA63 as agreed by our previous leaders...that is the prime minister’s message to me.

"Many things had indeed been discussed, and some had been implemented during the previous administration, but still many left to do.

"And within one month (of unity government administration), we have agreed to several matters, including the transfer of gas supply (regulatory power) to Sabah and special grants under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution. However, there are several matters that we hope will be resolved soon,” he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme on Monday (Feb 27) night.

Meanwhile, Fadillah said the increase in allocation for Sabah and Sarawak in Budget 2023 compared to last year proved the government’s commitment and determination to improve the welfare of the people and development in the two states.

He said although some quarters compared the allocations received by the two states, there was an increase in the figures, adding that the government’s focus was on infrastructure development in Sabah and Sarawak.

"Our priority is to speed up the development of social amenities, water supply and other basic facilities.

"The important thing is that there is commitment and increase in allocation. The focus is now on its implementation. If it is good, then (the benefits) will be felt by the people and the development gap can be bridged,” he said.

In Budget 2023, some RM6.5bil has been allocated for Sabah compared to RM5.16bil in 2022, while Sarawak is to receive RM5.6bil compared to RM4.67bil (2022). - Bernama