Dr Kelvin Yii
KUCHING: A special Cabinet committee to oversee the enforcement of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) will be set up.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii pointed out that de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong has revealed in Parliament today that the Minister’s Cabinet has agreed to the formation of the committee which will comprise of representatives from the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak who have expertise in the matter.
“This is the answer to my parliamentary question to the Prime Minister over the special committee on the MA63 which is one of Pakatan Harapan’s 100-day promises,” he said in a press statement.
“The committee has been tasked to produce a detailed report on the matter within six months from the date it is set up which will then be presented to the government,” he added.
He elaborated that the committee will study and propose corrective measures in relation to matters on the status of the MA63 in the context of current legislation; efforts to improve the people’s understanding towards the MA63 through the education system; implementation of the concept of federalism across the three territories – Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak; the rights of Sabah and Sarawak to natural resources as well as oil and gas; administrative matters that can be delegated to the states; the amount of allocation that is within the rights of Sabah and Sarawak; and amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution.
“Once the report is presented and approved by the Cabinet, this Special Committee will also be given the responsibility in monitoring the implementation of the proposals in the report,” he said.
Dr Yii stressed that this is an important step in regaining Sarawak’s rights under MA63 and a sign that the new PH federal government not only has fulfilled another 100-day promise, but also showed the sincerity and political will in recognising Sarawak’s special status and rights under the framework of MA63.
“What is also important to point out is that there is greater transparency in the manner as there is a timeframe set for this report to be submitted, unlike the previous administration where many public statements were made to the people, but no timeframe was set by the then BN government,” he said.
Dr Yii pledged to continue following up and monitoring this issue as well to make sure the interests of Sarawak were protected.
“One of the things I will be pushing for is for us to regain our rightful status as equal partners in the federation and I believe the PH government has shown great sincerity in honouring the promises that was made including reiterating our stand to return 20 per cent oil royalty to Sarawak,” he concluded.