Members of Sarawak BN component parties united in restoring state’s rights – Asfia

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Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar

KUCHING: Members of Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties are on a united front in fighting for the restoration of the state’s rights as accorded in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) permanent chairman Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar.

Sarawak BN component parties are PBB, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

Asfia, who is State Legislative Assembly (DUN) speaker, said the position of Sarawak has been explained by the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

“Any further elaboration may complicate and confuse the issue, we stand by what the CM had categorically said and we stand by what the dewan (DUN) had passed by way of motion. No further comment,” he told reporters after presenting financial assistance to the committee of various mosques and suraus at Masjid Darul Hana here today.

The motion Asfia referred to was the Ministerial Motion on MA63 and matters related thereafter, which was moved by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas in the last DUN sitting and seconded by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing.

With the approval of the motion at DUN, the state government was given the mandate to form a high level special task force

to negotiate with the federal government to resolve all outstanding issues relating to MA63.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in addressing the Sabah Umno delegates in his winding-up speech on the last day of the party’s general assembly on Saturday also gave his assurance that the rights of Sarawak and Sabah as accorded in MA63 will be restored.

When asked to comment on Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s view regarding the MA63, Asfia said: “the view and stand of our chief minister has been very clear”.

“What he (Abang Johari) said is based on facts, history, constitution and law. It is not based on emotion, so we stand by that,” he said.