MA63 not a ‘social contract’ – Shafie

KUALA LUMPUR: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal said that the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) is not a ‘social contract’ but an international document that is recognised by the United Nations for the formation of Malaysia and cannot be viewed lightly.

He said that Sabah’s and Sarawak’s rights are contained in the MA63 and cannot and should not be politicised.

“The MA63 is the heritage left by the fathers of independence who wanted harmony to continue in Malaysia. MA63 is an official document that legitimised the existence of Sabah and Sarawak and the formation of Malaysia, itself. The agreement is different from ‘social contracts’ which is often mentioned throughout the country.

“The 1963 Malaysia agreement is linked to the rights of the people of Sabah, and not a political matter that can be debated for power,” he said when debating the second draft of the Constitution (Amendment) 2019 which was read for the second time to restore Sabah and Sarawak as the equal partners in the Malaysia Federation.

After the bill was tabled last week, the Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday restructured the amendment to return the original words issued when the article was amended in 1976.

When supporting the restructured amendment, Shafie, who is also Semporna Member of Parliament reminded the House that leaders from Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya signed the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

However, he said that all the promises and aspirations of the people of Sabah have not been fulfilled, hence the importance of getting their rights back.

“We do not want that after the formation of Malaysia for more than 55 years, there are still Sabahans who use dilapidated roads to bring their patients from their village to the nearby roads.

“We also don’t want the existence of dilapidated schools at rural Sabah in comparison to the comfortable school settings enjoyed in Kuala Lumpur.

“This was promised by the father of independence but after 55 years of forming Malaysia, we in Sabah still use our old and dilapidated infrastructure,” he said.

The amendment, he said, is a step towards returning the rights of Sabah, which include rights to its oil and income.

In relation to that, he hoped that no party would politicise the amendment for personal gain and for power.