Sarawak govt to table motion on reclaiming state’s rights

BINTULU: Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem said the state government will table a motion at the State Legislative Assembly sitting next month on reclaiming Sarawak’s rights.

Adenan said the motion would specifically focus on the need for the Federal Government to observe Sarawak rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the Inter-Goverment Committee Report 1963 and the Cobbold Commission Report 1962.

“The motion will be tabled by one of the ministers,” he told reporters after opening Parti Rakyat Sarawak’s 4th Triennial Delegates Conference here yesterday.

The State Legislative Assembly sitting will be held from Nov 21 to 30.

Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Singapore left the federation in 1965.

On other matters, Adenan announced that the state government was looking into building coastal highways to accelerate growth in the coastal areas.

He said Deputy Chief Minister and Infrastructure Development and Transportation Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing and Sarawak Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh had been tasked with studying the matter.

On the request to increase the intake of Dayaks in the state civil service, he said State Secretary Tan Sri Mohammad Morshidi Abdul Ghani had been instructed to look into it.

As for the request to include more Dayak contractors in the Pan Borneo Highway project, he said he was all for this and promised to assist them.

“But I warn you, do not be Ali Baba (rent seekers) after getting the projects.” — Bernama