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Some state rights non-negotiable, there’s a red line, says Asfia

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K U C H I N G: The Sarawak Consultative Committee on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) holds that there are state rights, for instance on immigration, which it considers as non-negotiable. Its chairman Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, who is also State Legislative Assembly Speaker, said the state’s territorial integrity-land mass, continental shelf, seabed and subsoil were also absolutely non-negotiable.

“These issues and several more are not going to be raised during the steering committee meeting (on the MA63)…there is a red line there and even if they raise it in the steering committee, we will say no,” Asfia told a press conference after chairing the first meeting of the Consultative Committee here yesterday.

Asfia said immigration was nonnegotiable because to concede on immigration was to open the floodgates that would unleash a torrent of immigrants from across the border and those far outside Sarawak to sweep away the Sarawak population.

The cons u l t a t i v e c o m m i t t e e meeting yesterday discussed various issues pertaining to MA63 and would forward its recommendations to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg who would lead the state’s government delegation to the steering committee meeting (on the MA63) to be chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed on Dec 17 in Kuala Lumpur. Both Johari and the State Attorney-General Datuk Talat Mahmood Abdul Rashid sit in the steering committee. A s f i a s a i d Sarawak must make a strong stand speaking with one voice f o r S a r aw a k , a d d i n g t h a t failing to do so, Sarawak might e n d u p a s a “voice of the voiceless”.

“In our approach, we must be history-guided and driven, legally logical and constitutionally correct. We shall survey and scrutinise the parameters of MA63, fathom its ramifications and implications,” said Asfia.

The committee was formed under Standing Order 89 of the Standing Orders of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly and Article 24(1) of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak through a motion tabled in the assembly on Nov 6 this year. The committee has 13 other members who are representatives from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), DAP and PKR.

U n d e r t h e M A 6 3 , S a b a h, Sarawak and Singapore joined the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963 but Singapore exited the federation in 1965. Sabah and Sarawak are claiming that their status have eroded in the new federation (Malaysia) and are clamouring for more autonomy. – Bernama

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