Only PM’s views ma er – Abg Jo
The Sarawak government is not bothered with the views of certain par es on its efforts to reclaim the state’s rights as what is important is the open and recep ve a tude of the Prime Minister.
SIBU: The Sarawak government is not bothered with the views of certain parties on its efforts to reclaim the state’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) as what is important is the open and receptive attitude of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in the matter.
Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said Najib had publicly declared that the state’s rights under the agreement would be returned and stressed the negotiations should be based on facts and not on emotions.
“I do not want to be emotional in this and it should not be a popularity game,” he told reporters after opening the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Zon 8 branch delegates meeting here yesterday.
Abang Johari said the Malaysia Agreement 1963 is a sacred and an international agreement under the Inter Governmental Committee (IGC).
“The first phase of negotiations in relation to administrative matters were agreed during the tenure of Tok Nan (late chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem), and some had been implemented such as granting the mandate to the deputy public prosecutor to prosecute certain criminal cases.”
Abang Johari said the efforts to reclaim Sarawak’s rights was to secure the future of the state.
“We have entered the second phase of negotiations based on the Constitution, specifically, Article 112D and the maritime boundary which should be at 12 nautical miles.”
He added Sarawak has evidence in the form of British colonial government documents brought back to London after the establishment of Malaysia.
The documents which were previously classified as secret and confidential were obtained by a team of lawmakers sent to London in July, led by Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring, Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
The Chief Minister therefore stressed that Sarawak was pursuing its rights based on facts and the state wants to reclaim what is rightfully owed.
“In London, our legal team found documents used during colonial days. All the documents were brought to London after Sarawak achieved its independence in 1963. Our first chief minister the late Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan had no copies of the documents classified as secret.
“These documents will be brought back to Kuching so they can become the property of Sarawakians,” he said.
Abang Johari said the documents would be presented to Putrajaya to prove Sarawak’s rights.
“And there are those who thought that I’m emotional on this matter and invited me to a debate.
“Not that I do not want to debate but there is no point of having a debate when the Prime Minister has agreed on the matter,” he said.
The Chief Minister was referring to a challenge by Dewan Negara Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia for a debate over MA63.
He recalled that the late Tun Jugah Barieng had said: ‘Anang aja Malaysia tu baka tebu, manis di pun, tabar di ujung’ which means ‘Let’s hope Malaysia will not be like the sugarcane, sweet at the beginning but tasteless at the end’.
“Probably what we are fighting for now is because it has turned slightly sour or bitter. We do not want it to be bitter.
“We want to fight so it will continue to be sweet,” he said.
He said the first phase of the negotiation on the devolution of power between the state and federal government had been settled and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said the federal government would give back Sarawak’s rights.
“Najib is very open to suggestions,” he added.
At the press conference later, he suggested that PBB members help to explain to the rural population the current government policy and usage of technology to develop the state’s economy.
“We are leapfrogging from conventional to digital. We have set aside allocation to upgrade our digital infrastructure to be completed within two years. It means simultaneously we must prepare our people to use technology including in the agriculture sector.
‘This is where PBB has to explain our policy and what we are going to do. Our branches can help to explain to the farmers and they can also suggest the best mode of approach so we can transform the rural areas,” he said.
On ‘Pulau Galau’ and ‘Pemakai Menoa’ issues, he said a conference involving community leaders would be held in January next year.
“We have indicated in DUN (State Legislative Assembly) sitting recently that we’ll amend the land code in May after we finalise including definition of ‘Pulau Galau’,” he said.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi and PBB Youth chief Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf, who is Works Minister.
PBB Zone 8 comprises nine party branches - Pakan, Meluan, Ngemah, Machan, Tamin, Pelagus, Katibas, Bukit Goram and Baleh.
About 1,200 delegates from the branches attended the meeting.