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 (pic).
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 will 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.
Sabah’s claims on oil royalty and petroleum cash payments, oil and gas resources and its maritime rights are among five issues referred for discussion or a decision at the highest level.
The other two issues involve the Territorial Sea Act 2012 and stamp duties on instruments for land transfers, charges and leases under Sabah’s land laws.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said these matters are among the MA63 issues involving Sabah that have yet to be fully resolved.
Three other issues have been resolved on an interim or partial basis – the review of special grants for Sabah and Sarawak under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, as well as health and education matters.
The Federal Government has agreed to increase Sabah’s Special Grant to RM1.5bil from 2026 for five years, Mustapha said.
He said the higher grant is an interim arrangement while the federal and Sabah governments work toward a final agreement on the grant amount under Article 112D.
The review is being carried out jointly by the Finance Ministry and Sabah.
Two outstanding issues have received policy decisions: the delegation of powers over environmental matters and the appointment of judicial commissioners.
Three other matters remain under discussion. They involve development along the Sabah-Sarawak-Kalimantan border, increasing the number of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, and a proposal to place tourism under the Concurrent List.
Replying to Vivian Wong Shir Yee (PH-Sandakan), who asked for an update on Sabah’s MA63 claims, Mustapha said the government remains committed to resolving all MA63 matters, though the timeline depends on legal processes.
