Leiking reiterates call for motion to enforce MA63
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah deputy president Darell Leiking reiterated his call to the Sabah government to table a motion to enforce the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Article 8 of MA63 as well as the effect of the Territorial Sea Act 2012 at the upcoming state assembly sitting.
He said Warisan leaders had been made to understand that the Sarawak government would be working together with the opposition in that state to have the motion to debate MA63 be tabled at their upcoming state assembly sitting.
“I presume that the debate would most likely be about the findings made by the Sarawak government’s legal team at their recent trip to London to study the declassified documents relating to MA63,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Leiking pointed out that the reluctance on the part of the Sabah government and Chief Minister to pursue the implementation of MA63 had caused great deal of missed opportunities for Sabah.
According to him, the Sabah Chief Minister currently commands a two-thirds majority at the state assembly which is the condition for actual implementation of MA63, the Article 8 of MA63 particularly on the settlement of the 40 per cent entitlement prescribed under 10th Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
“But it is regretful that he and other BN state leaders are still giving out excuses that issues relating to MA63 are still being pursued diplomatically through the BN spirit and ‘brotherly’ way whilst their Sarawak counterpart has asserted its power as stipulated therein Article 8 of MA63,” he claimed.
The Penampang member of parliament pointed out that Sabahans have no problem with such excuse (by BN Sabah leaders) but what they want to see is that the state government, particularly the Chief Minister, does not confine MA63 within the ambit of politics.
“MA63 is the single international treaty/document in our possession that safeguards and preserves our special privileges and interest while at the same time, allows us all to stand up with dignity and respect, especially when dealing with our Malayan counterparts,” he said.
Warisan’s stand, Leiking stressed, is clear; the actual implementation of MA63 should not be made out of political necessity or knee jerk reaction but with full conscience and understanding that this is such a sacrosanct document prepared by the United Kingdom with the sole intention of protecting Sabahans against any attempt of manipulation, coaxing and duress by the Malayan leaders, irrespective of who holds the Federal Government.
“Hence, we really need to have the MA63 (and TSA 2012) debated at the state assembly sitting and a resolution must be passed by two-thirds of the state assemblymen to instruct our state government for the activation by all means for the immediate, actual implementation of the agreement as already provided for therein Article 8 of the MA63,” he said.
Leiking opined that BN Sabah must seize the opportunity now considering that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had allowed PAS to table its Private Bill on RUU355 during the recent Dewan Rakyat sitting.
“If because of political necessity, Najib and PAS can agree to RUU355, which is actually an issue that all the BN Sabah component parties but Umno disagree to, then why do all our state BN assemblymen reluctant to have MA63 debated at the state assembly sitting?
“This is the perfect time for our BN Sabah state assemblymen to table, deliberate and come out with the resolution on our rights and privileges.
“We will all eventually grow old and as representatives and lawmakers, whatever time we have now should centre around the rights and special privileges of Sabah.
“Do not squander this golden opportunity because if you all do, you will be living full of remorse in your golden age and be forced to make a comeback when you no longer have the power,” he asserted.