KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will have a busy schedule during his upcoming visit to Sabah, which begins next Thursday (Sept 12).
The nation’s top leader is expected to personally chair the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) meeting with Sabah leaders, which are being led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, before flying off to Lahad Datu for a Madani programme at Felda Sahabat.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy information chief Razeef Rakimin said that this meeting would focus on MA63, emphasising Sabah’s entitlement to 40% of Federal revenue as outlined in Article 112C of the Federal Constitution.
While some local political figures remain sceptical of the Prime Minister’s ability to resolve the long-standing issue, Sabah PKR’s official spokesperson is optimistic.
Razeef said that he believes the MA63 discussions would deliver positive outcomes for the people of Sabah.
"Sabah PKR is confident the Prime Minister has the potential to deliver significant results for Sabah. We hope that the MA63 negotiations will address any obstacles preventing the agreement's full implementation," he said at a press briefing on Saturday (Sept 7).
Commenting on Sabah’s pursuit of its 40% revenue entitlement from Putrajaya, Razeef said Anwar would find the best solution for the state.
He added that Sabah still lags behind in development, particularly in infrastructure.
“It has never been said that the 40% entitlement would not be honoured. The evaluation is whether this amount is sufficient, given that Sabah is still behind compared to other states in terms of development," said Razeef.
He added that the discussions examine what can be granted to Sabah in a way that is fair to other states, particularly economic powerhouses such as Selangor, Johor, and Penang.
“We must ensure fairness across all states contributing to the nation’s economic growth. We’ve been informed that the matter is nearing completion, and we anticipate an announcement following the meeting," he added.
Razeef noted that PKR has consistently championed Sabah’s rights, including MA63, which is enshrined in Article 5.8 of the party’s constitution.
He also praised Anwar's leadership, stating that the Prime Minister has made considerable progress during his one year and eight months in office.
"The pace of progress under Anwar’s leadership is clearly faster than before," he remarked.
Additionally, Razeef announced that Sabah PKR would host two key programmes: the Sidang Meja Bulat Keadilan Borneo on Sept 16, and the Konvensyen Angkatan Muda Keadilan Zon Borneo on Sept 21.
The findings from these events would be compiled and discussed further at the party level before being presented to Anwar.
