KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is calling for a joint Sabah and Sarawak review of all federal laws that violate the constitutional rights of both states.
He said extensive federal overreach in legislation over the years has left Sabah poorer, weaker and more dependent on the federal government.
"This is a direct contradiction to the promises made under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)," he said in a statement on Sunday (Sept 28).
Kitingan’s comments come after a recent remark by the Governor of Sarawak on the continued encroachment of federal powers into state jurisdictions.
In welcoming the remarks, he said the governor’s stand on the Petroleum Development Act 1974 and the Environmental Quality Act 1974 echoed concerns that Sabah had long shared under the MA63.
"But for Sabah, the issue is not limited to oil and the environment. Other federal laws have also stripped us of powers and revenues that are rightfully ours," he said.
These include the Territorial Sea Act 2012 which arbitrarily reduced Sabah’s maritime boundary to three nautical miles, costing the state control of offshore resources, said Kitingan.
His fight for state rights and restoration of the MA63 has been consistent and growing more persistent.
He said others like the Fisheries Act 1985, which centralised marine licensing under Putrajaya, weakened state authority over its own coastal livelihoods.
Although some licensing powers have been "devolved" in recent years, this is meaningless in practice, he said.
He explained that devolution left Sabah tied to federal law and dependent on federal goodwill.
Kitingan said what Sabah needed was not piecemeal devolution but full restoration of its power to legislate, regulate and collect revenue from its seas.
Moving on, he said the Electricity Supply Act 1990 removed Sabah’s sovereignty over its own power supply, leaving it dependent on federal agencies and outside decisions.
"These are not the only laws that have eaten into Sabah’s autonomy.
"There are others that must be identified and challenged, which is why a proper legal and constitutional study must be undertaken to expose the full extent of these intrusions," he stressed.
"I therefore call for an immediate joint Sabah–Sarawak review of all federal laws that violate the constitutional division of powers and restoration of full revenue entitlement, including the 40% net revenue due to Sabah," said Kitingan.
He also called for binding parliamentary safeguards to prevent any further federal encroachment.
"I honour His Excellency’s statesmanship, but I will not merely echo. As a son of Sabah, I insist that our rights are enforced, our sovereignty respected and our future secured," he said.
"Our rights are not a favour from Putrajaya. They are obligations already signed, already promised and long overdue," Kitingan stated.
