KOTA KINABALU: Sabah leaders took the opportunity in Parliament to voice out their hopes on the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), hoping for more positive progress on the matter.
Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick said that with a division in the Prime Minister's Department tasked with handling Sabah and Sarawak affairs, as well as the King’s recent decree for the MA63 to be applied, there was a clear message that the rights of Sabah and Sarawak must be respected.
In his Royal Address to the Dewan Rakyat last week, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia reminded lawmakers to reflect on the original spirit of the formation of Malaysia, which was anchored by the MA63.
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He advised that the nation’s interests must come first in the effort to respect state rights.
During the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 27), Ewon pointed out that without Sabah and Sarawak, the Federation of Malaysia would not have been formed.
The Penampang MP said the proposed appeal against the High Court Order mandating the review of Sabah’s 40% revenue share entitlement should be dropped, and asked when the next meeting to discuss this matter would be convened.
"The people of Sabah only want their rights to be returned. We do not question the special rights of other states in the Federal Constitution, we just want our rights to be respected and implemented," he said.
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Ewon said that if the rights of all states can be respected and fulfilled, peace and harmony would prevail.
He also said that matters relating to the MA63, the Cobbold Commission and the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) reports linked to the formation of the country should also be taught in school.
He supported the national reform agenda, but stressed that issues pertaining to Sabah’s rights and the MA63 must also be included.
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Former deputy chief minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, the Putatan MP, hoped that the division tasked with Sabah and Sarawak affairs and helmed by fellow Sabahan Datuk Mustapha Sakmud would bring the long-awaited results for Sabahans.
He said the close relations between Sabah and Putrajaya should be able to influence obtaining state rights.
"As a Sabahan leader, I thank His Majesty for his decree on the issue of MA63," Shahelmey added when debating the Royal Address, also on Tuesday.
