Restore all rights, entitlement rendered to Sabah under MA63 – LDP

KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party VicePresident David Ong urged the Federal Government to expedite the fulfilment of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and restoring Sabah’s autonomy and rightful financial entitlement.

Ong stands firmly alongside Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan and East Malaysian leaders in their calls to protect Sabah’s autonomy and special rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“Allowing unrestrained expansion of Peninsula-based political parties in Sabah undermines the very spirit and intent of the agreement that brought our State into the Malaysian federation,” he said.

According to Ong in a statement on Friday, MA63 granted Sabah significant autonomy over crucial matters like immigration, education and royalties from our natural resources. This autonomy was meant to safeguard our unique interests and identity within the Malaysian family.

Sadly, over the decades, the Federal Government has eroded these rights and failed to fully honour MA63. A glaring example is the Federal Government’s failure to return 40 per cent of the revenue derived from Sabah as stipulated under the 1963 agreement. This deprivation of our rightful financial entitlement has hampered Sabah’s development for far too long.

It is estimated that Sabah has contributed to no less than RM6.0 billion to Federal treasury through income taxes alone. At the agreed 40 per cent return rate, this equates to at least RM2.4 billion that should have been repatriated to Sabah to fund our own development priorities.

Ong said Sabahans have the right to know the total annual revenues Federal Government obtained from Sabah, which includes customs duties, levies, road tax and interest on State loans and more.

“I like to pose this question to the Federal Government: If you continue to disregard MA63 and violate Sabah’s constitutional rights, on what grounds can you compel our State to continue paying taxes and revenues to the Federal Government? Revenue collection by Federal Government without proper representation and accounting for Sabah’s interests would be unjust.”

He stressed that and MA63 is the constitutional core on which Sabah’s participation in Malaysia is built.

“While negotiations have occurred to return all rights to Sabah and Sarawak, the pace of progress is disappointingly slow. We call for an immediate action to comprehensively restore all rights and entitlement rendered to Sabah under MA63.

“Our constitution is being undermined from within by national political forces that have little appreciation for Sabah and Sarawak’s distinct autonomy. We urge all Sabahans to stand united behind our local GRS leaders who are at the forefront of this battle to defend our sovereignty within the Malaysian Federation,” he added.