Re-negotiation on MA63 a delaying tactic — Masing

KUCHING: Various Sarawak's rights already enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) are not negotiable, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing insisted.

He said re-negotiation on the MA63 is a delaying tactic by the federal government to frustrate Sarawakians and Sabahans, adding: “Thus allowing Putrajaya to continue sucking the wealth from these two regions.”

The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president reminded Malaysians that they must understand that without MA63 there is no nation called Malaysia.

Masing was referring to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad's statement that there was little disagreement between the federal government and Sabah and Sarawak governments during a meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee (Steering Committee) to review the MA63 in Putrajaya on Tuesday.

"What is there to re-negotiate? What I can't understand is the need to re-negotiate on MA63. MA63 is a straight forward agreement and there is nothing complicated about it. It was the basis for the formation of the Federation of Malaysia," he stressed when contacted yesterday.

"To me, MA63 has always been and shall always be intact in its original state, that is, until and unless its substance is dissolved by mutual consent by all the signatories which are Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya, or repealed by breach of the international treaty conditions, which MA63 is," he added.

Separately, Kimanis MP Datuk Seri Panglima Anifah Aman told reporters in Kota Kinabalu that he had been constantly calling for the federal government to implement all its promises, including returning the rights of Sabah – one of which is the petroleum royalty.

He told reporters that he had also informed Dr Mahathir during a courtesy call to further discuss the issues regarding the MA63 at the latter's residence at The Mines, Selangor on March 1.

“Focus should be on the call for the federal government to return Sabah's rightful status under the MA63, which is the foundation of Malaysia's formation,” he said adding that he would continue to support Dr Mahathir and the federal government in their pursuit to deliver their MA63 promises.

During the Tuesday two-hour meeting, Dr Mahathir said several working papers on the various government functions were tabled and that almost all of them would be referred to the Technical Committee for an in-depth study before they are discussed at the next meeting.