KUCHING: News of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s expected two-day official visit to Sarawak this week has caught the attention of the general public here.
This will be his first visit to Sarawak as the 10th prime minister since he was sworn in on Nov 24 last year and according to reliable sources, Anwar will be in town from Jan 19 to 20.
Anwar is also expected to chair the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) committee meeting at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN).
The meeting is expected to discuss matters concerning Sarawak and Sabah autonomy on public projects worth below RM50 million, official gazetting of the status of Sabah and Sarawak as regions and the formula for the special grant increase to Sabah and Sarawak based on Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.
New Sarawak Tribune reached out to members of the public to get a feel of the prevailing sentiments on the ground and capture their hopes on the outcome of the meeting.
Nur Shafiqah Asyikin Hazukki, 25, Executive
“I also hope that Sarawak can get its eroded rights restored including in terms of education, health and citizenship. We need our authority to overcome the citizenship issue plaguing our people in rural areas.”
Fahmi Abd Hamid, 31, Self-employed
“I hope the federal and state governments can come to an agreement and a conclusion on what is best for Sarawakians. We have been fighting for our rights for a long time and I believe the time has come for us to come to a favourable conclusion on this.”
Alex Mclean, 35, IT technician
“I hope the meeting will bring fruitful results to Sarawakians
as a whole. I believe the time is right for us to restore our eroded rights that we have been fighting for a long time.”
Nicole Frankie, 23, Student
“I hope Sarawak will be given equal rights as enshrined in MA63 and put us on par with our Malayan counterparts. I also hope that we can come to an agreement to increase our royalties and revenues for the sake of our beloved region.”
