KOTA KINABALU: A total of 16 out of 29 key issues under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) have been fully resolved with discussions ongoing on the remaining matters, says Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
He said three issues were currently at an interim or partial resolution stage, while 10 remained under negotiation between the Federal Government and the Sabah and Sarawak governments through the MA63 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63).
Among the key matters still being discussed is the review of the Special Grant under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 5).
Mustapha said an interim agreement had been reached for payments amounting to RM1.5bil to Sabah and Sarawak while a permanent formula for calculating the grant is being finalised.
On efforts to increase parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak, he said the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division (BHESS) had begun formal engagement with the Election Commission (EC) on Sept 22 to discuss implementation mechanisms.
The discussions covered constitutional, legal and technical considerations, including electoral boundary delineation and data requirements, he explained.
Currently, Sabah and Sarawak hold a total of 56 or 25.3% of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
Mustapha said they were looking at the proposal to raise their representation to 35%.
He said he had proposed the formation of a special committee under the MTPMA63 Technical Committee involving the EC, the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU), BHESS and the Sabah and Sarawak governments for the implementation framework and timeline to increase seats.
He also announced the establishment of the Friends of BHESS initiative together with the Government Backbenchers Club (BBC), aimed at providing Members of Parliament and senators with a platform to better understand and discuss MA63 issues across political and regional lines.
However, he said that Friends of BHESS would not replace existing negotiation mechanisms under MTPMA63.
"Official negotiations and issue resolution will continue through the existing government mechanisms. Friends of BHESS will help build understanding and support in Parliament, especially for matters that may require legislative action and parliamentary approval," he added.
Mustapha said MA63 should be regarded as a national agenda rather than an issue concerning only Sabah and Sarawak.
"MA63 is not solely Sabah and Sarawak's agenda. MA63 is Malaysia's agenda and should be understood and supported by all Malaysians," he said.
He said the Madani Government remained committed to ensuring that the implementation of MA63 translates into solutions that improve the well-being of the people.
