KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 16 matters under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) implementation framework have been resolved, while 13 others remain under discussion, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
These include federal financial obligations under List III, the Concurrent List, of the Ninth Schedule to the Federal Constitution; an increase in the number of posts in the Sabah and Sarawak state public services under Article 112 of the Constitution; and the Borneonisation of the federal public service in Sabah and Sarawak.
Anwar said the remaining 13 matters were still under discussion and would continue to be monitored by the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department, which serves as the secretariat to the MA63 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) and its Technical Committee, together with stakeholders at the federal level and in the Sabah and Sarawak state governments.
"The government has also agreed that there is justification for increasing the proportion of parliamentary seats allocated to Sabah and Sarawak.
"Further discussions and scrutiny will be undertaken by all parties involved, including the Legal Affairs Division and the Election Commission," he said in a parliamentary written reply on Tuesday (Oct 20).
Anwar added that the government is committed to expediting the resolution of all matters under the MTPMA63 platform.
"However, the timeframe for resolving each claim is subject to the relevant legal processes.
"The readiness of the Sabah and Sarawak state governments in terms of operations, human resources and finances must also be taken into account before a matter can be resolved," he said.
