BY NATASHA JEE & MEDECCI LINEIL
KUCHING: The regional government will discuss matters concerning the recognition of Sarawak as a region with the federal government.
With a meeting that is expected to be held on Jan 19, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said indeed Sarawak has always been a region from the beginning (of the formation of Malaysia).
“The amendment to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is needed in view that Sabah and Sarawak have been accorded the status of regions and are no longer regarded as states within Malaysia, as stated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi — is a just suggestion.
“This is because since the very beginning, we, Sarawak, have been a region, but the situation has changed in 60 years.
“Hence, we amend the Federal Constitution relevant to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and what is written in the constitution takes into account the MA63 and Inter-Governmental Committee Report (IGC),” he said to the reporters at the Kuching Car Free Morning organised by the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) at Padang Merdeka here this morning (Jan 15).
Abang Johari said this when asked to comment on Ahmad Zahid’s recent remark that Sabah and Sarawak are now known as regions and not states, and whether there is an official gazettement on the matter.
The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman further said that as Sarawak is a region, the title of head of government was changed from Chief Minister to Premier.
“We will thus have to wait until after our meeting on Jan 19 where we will ask the federal government to confirm whether the region of Sabah and Sarawak’s gazettement letter is present or not,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to make his first official visit to Sarawak next week to attend a meeting on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MTPPMA63) in Kuching.
