Call for S’wak-Sabah Rights Conference
KUCHING: The state government is urged to take the initiative to convene a Sarawak-Sabah Rights Conference to devise and put together a united front to pursue the common rights of the East Malaysian states under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg was the right person to lead the East Malaysian effort to deliberate Sarawak-Sabah’s common rights and initiate a united force that will represent the voice of Sarawak and Sabah in Parliament.
“I think it is important for the Chief Minister to take the lead that we should convene a SarawakSabah rights conference.
“The conference should be nonpartisan, open to the public but most importantly be attended by all the elected representatives - members of parliament and assemblymen,” he told a press conference at the Stampin PKR service centre here yesterday.
See said Abang Johari should take the lead, having made the right step to further the legacy of the late Chief Minister (Pehin Sri Adenan Satem) in retrieving the voluminous documents relating to the formation of Malaysia including those culminating to MA63.
He said those documents are crucial bedrock for the reexamination, revisiting and restoration of the state’s rights under the MA63.
“And of course, he (Abang Johari) also had the full backing of the Sarawak state legislative assembly in the last sitting. The house had unanimously agreed that we have to relook at the MA63 on the question of territorial rights and so on.
“All these are crucial and we have taken all these steps. But the next step that we have to make is to really take all the necessary actions,” he stressed.
See, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak vice-chairman, suggested that the first thing that the people of the East Malaysian states really have to do is to have a united front, a united voice between Sarawak and Sabah.
He, however, acknowledged this is not easy, especially following the publication of ‘Berpisah Tiada’ by the Speaker of Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
He alleged that the publication of ‘Berpisah Tiada’ by Pandikar was a calculated move by the Umnoled federal Barisan Nasional (BN) to thwart and frustrate the united East Malaysian efforts for their common rights and destiny, and therefore it has to be taken very seriously.
“The fact that Pandikar Amin does not need to seek electoral mandate from Sabahans to continue to be the Speaker of Parliament makes his arguments in ‘Berpisah Tiada’ weak and trivial. However, as the Speaker of the House, his views and opinions must not be taken lightly.
“For the next five years, one of the most crucial roles of the Malaysian Parliament is to debate on the autonomous rights of Sarawak and Sabah enshrined in MA63 and all the other documents and agreements reached for the formation of Malaysia, and legislate to carry out the devolution of powers to Sarawak and Sabah, in accordance with the wishes and agreements reached between the Sarawak and Sabah states with the federal government.
“We must ensure that Pandikar Amin has full knowledge and understanding of the intent and purposes of all the documents and agreements that have led to the formation of Malaysia,” he stressed.
See said Pandikar Amin’s view was a clear reflection of the lackadaisical performance of BN elected representatives in defending and championing Sarawakian and Sabahan rights in the federal Parliament.
“Their perceptions of our rights under the MA63 were misguided and were dictated by Umno and Putrajaya.
“We should invite Pandikar Amin to this East Malaysian Rights Conference to ventilate his arguments before all the elected representatives of Sarawak and Sabah and the general public.
“On the other hand, let our representatives from Sarawak and Sabah express their opinions and views on all the aspects and subject matters related to the MA63,” he said.
See suggested that at the end of the non-partisan conference, the East Malaysian states need all the 56 elected representatives from Sarawak and Sabah to be fully committed and resolved to make the championing and restoration of autonomous rights of Sarawak and Sabah their main priority in the next Parliament.
“We need all the East Malaysian MPs to move in one united voice,” he said.