KUCHING: Plans to restructure the technical committee of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Implementation Action Council will be finalised at its next meeting, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah, who chairs the committee, explained that the proposals must be refined following the Dec 16 Cabinet reshuffle, as the task now falls to the newly appointed Minister for Sabah and Sarawak Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
“I will present the details at the forthcoming technical meeting. He (Mustapha) will first convene the discussions, after which the matter will be elevated to the technical committee.
“Ultimately, it will be presented to the highest-level consultation council within the committee,” he told reporters after officiating the Shell LiveWIRE Malaysia National Awards 2025 ceremony, Bernama reported.
He was responding to a recent call by Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian for the committee to directly involve the Finance Minister, the Economic Planning Unit and the Public Service Department.
Fadillah confirmed that discussions on the proposal are under way, with representatives from the Finance Ministry and the EPU already participating in the committee.
On other MA63-related matters, he noted that talks on increasing parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak remain ongoing, as the issue involves both legal interpretation and the need to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
He added that while there is broad agreement in principle about increasing the number of seats, the outcome depends on the ongoing negotiations.
“Should the increase exceed a 25% threshold, it would require the support of two-thirds of Parliament. That is the main challenge. Further engagement is necessary,” he said.
