S’wak wants IGC model in talk
Abang Johari says MA63 negotiation lopsided in favour of federal govt, suggests talks be based on the IGC setup
KUALA LUMPUR: The Sarawak government is mulling over setting up a Special Cabinet Committee to negotiate with the federal government on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and wants the talk modelled on the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC).
In saying this, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg observes that currently, what has been proposed for Sarawak is that only the Chief Minister and Sarawak Attorney-General be included in the special committee, which is meant to implement the MA63.
“We have suggested to the federal government that we would like to have another model based on the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC), which should be done because the federal government has recognised that we (Sarawak) are a partner in the formation of Malaysia.
“Therefore, we have representatives from the governments of Sarawak and Sabah, and the federal government; and it must be in equal numbers so that you can deliberate on issues concerning the Malaysia Agreement; otherwise, it would be lopsided.
“Assuming (that) there’s an issue that we want to discuss; if based on majority-voting, then we (Sarawak) would be voted
Assuming (that) there’s an issue that we want to discuss; if based on majority-voting, then we (Sarawak) would be voted out. This is a serious issue that we have to deliberate. — Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Chief Minister
out. This is a serious issue that we have to deliberate,” he said when met after the town hall session ‘#TanyakAbgJo’ at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) here yesterday.
The session was a part of the ‘Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2018’ programme, slated for Sarawakians studying or working in Peninsular Malaysia.
Recently, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Datuk Liew Vui Keong announced that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would lead the Special Cabinet Committee on MA63, with a line-up comprising Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Sr Ismail Bakar, Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, federal ministers, Abang Johari and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, Chief Judge of Sarawak and Sabah Datuk David Wong Dak Wah, Sarawak Attorney-General Datuk Talat Mahmood Abdul Rashid and Sabah Attorney-General Zaleha Rose Pandin, and Universiti Malays Professor of Law Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi.
The federal ministers are Liew himself, Lim Guan Eng (Finance), Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (Economic Affairs), Baru Bian (Works), Gobind Singh Deo (Communications and Multimedia), Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (Foreign), Anthony Loke Siew Fook (Transport) and Darell Leiking (International Trade and Industry).
Liew had said that among issues to be discussed would be oil royalties, equal distribution, the Petroleum Development Act 1974, and regional development that were close to ‘the hearts and minds’ of Sarawakians and Sabahans.