KUCHING: Sabah and Sarawak’s current stand is not to renegotiate the existing Malaysia Agreement (MA63) but to rectify it and move forward.
The proposal to create a new document to replace the MA63 can be interpreted to mean some people don’t understand the spirit and essence of the details contained in the original agreement.
Dayak Think Tank Association Sarawak (DTTAS) said the rights of Sabah and Sarawak were enshrined in constitutional instruments, including the Cobbold Commission Report and Report of the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC).
“The previous leaders signed the MA63 in good faith and believed that they contributed to the development of the country by agreeing in the spirit of shared prosperity.
“Among the contents of the MA63 is to guarantee development in Sabah and Sarawak on par with Malaya.
“Our hope is that when we form Malaysia together, Sarawak will enjoy the same development as in Malaya,” DTTAS founder Wellie Henry Majang said in a statement today (July 11).
He noted that Sarawak recorded the highest number of hardcore poor population of 62,930 families based on the eKasih data as of Feb 15.
The sentiment was echoed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed in a written reply to Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai during the recent parliament sitting.
Added Wellie: “This means that there is an imbalance in terms of regional development. We cannot be left behind, because the phrase ‘common prosperity’ that is always mentioned, should be enjoyed by all Malaysians, not only by those in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The question is, is the original purpose and progress achieved by the two states of Sabah and Sarawak equivalent to that enjoyed by Malaya at this time after 58 years of Malaysia’s establishment?
“Or, is there still a huge gap in terms of infrastructure development, economy, education and so on?”
He said that among the main aspirations or dreams of the people of Sabah and Sarawak were still focused on development priorities and a fairer allocation so that they could carry out their own development.
“As a peer in the formation of Malaysia, all partnerships or revenue should be divided based on several factors that include Sarawak’s contribution to national finances and revenue received by the federal government through the exploitation of state natural resources and revenue received from taxes in Sarawak.
“Certainly the development needs of Sabah and Sarawak need to be given attention because there are still backward districts and with very poor facilities.
“The revision of the MA63 will also certainly raise the need to re-evaluate some practices that have been implemented before,” Wellie said.
In fact, he said, the MA63 was a document that concluded the process of Malaysia’s formation.
In this regard, the federal government should revise the demands in the MA63 to realise the rights of the people of Sabah and Sarawak in return for participating in the formation of Malaysia., he added.
