Role of new task force on MA63 talks different from present one, says Abang Johari
Petronas Sarawak Regional Office general manager Shamsur Taha (third right) presents Broerslers Rinah (left) and Rebecca Rudang Paul (right) with the Tvet Industry Trophy 2017 which was awarded as part of Petronas Excellence Award. Looking on are Abang Johari (third left), Abdul Aziz (second left) and Hallman (second right). — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The state government will be making an announcement on the role of its new task force which was formed at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting earlier this month when the time is right.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the new task force, which was formed to negotiate with Putrajaya for greater autonomy based on the terms of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), was different from the current one headed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Anifah Aman.
“Ours will be a bit higher because it involves a constitutional discussion,” he told reporters when met after officiating at the 20th Sarawak Skills Development Centre (PPKS) and International College of Advanced Technology (i-CATS) convocation at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday.
Abang Johari was responding to questions on whether the new task force would make the current one redundant given that the roles played by both task forces appeared to be similar.
He pointed out that this wasn’t the case as the new task force has a different ‘power’.
“The power is different. That one I have discussed with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and we will make certain announcement (when the time comes),” he said.
When pressed on when the announcement would be made, Abang Johari merely replied: ‘Kelak lok baru madah’ (I will inform later).
During a press conference on Nov 17, Abang Johari told reporters that the new task force would be headed by the state’s three deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing and hoped that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would be heading the federal task force during the discussion which should focus on the contents and spirit of MA63.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari mentioned that he was not in agreement with the recent statement by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia which insinuated that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) was unimportant.
“I beg to differ with what Pandikar Amin has said on the Malaysia Agreement. You cannot just describe that the agreement is not important because it is a very important document where the territorial rights of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia is the basis of the Malaysia Agreement.”
Pandikar Amin recently told reporters after speaking at a public forum on MA63 in Kota Kinabalu that the emergence of documents in relation to the history of Malaysia’s formation, such as the 20-point Memorandum and the Cobbold Commission Report, were made so that people would believe that some of the demands outlined in MA63 were not met.
He pointed out that the documents merely contained recommendations (in forming Malaysia) and negotiations following various meetings at that time.
“They are not legally binding agreements. The only legally binding agreement is the MA63, which gives effect to all those recommendations made by those documents.”
He said there was also a string of historical events leading to Malaysia’s formation that cannot be separated.
“You must look into the total spirit of MA63 and why it was done in such a way.”
Earlier, Abang Johari presented graduates with their diplomas and certificates during the convocation which saw 896 students graduating in their respective fields.
Also present were PPKS chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Hussain who is also i-CATS president, PPKS executive director Hallman Sabri and i-CATS chief executive Mohd Isham Fauzi.