Federal govt needs to provide certainty on equal status restoration – MP

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Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof

 

KUCHING: The federal government needs to provide certainty on whether they want to restore the equal status for Sarawak and Sabah, said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs chief whip Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof.

“If there is a will, it can be done. The question is whether they want it or not,” he said when commenting on Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad’s backpedaling on his announcement of restoring the equal partnership for Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

He said it was not fair to assume so early that the Opposition will not agree to the restoration.

“Such presumption will breeds public confusion and also suspicion towards the Sarawak government when Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is continuing the late former Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Adenan Satem’s legacy in calling for devolution of powers from the federal to state government as specified in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.

The previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government in fact had set up a Cabinet-sanctioned special committee to address the matters surrounding the devolution of powers including the allocation of income for the three regions.

As for Sarawak, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed that 13 aspects of power (bidangkuasa) be returned to Sarawak while allowing Sarawak to send delegates to London on a fact-finding mission about the MA63.

“This shows that the Sarawak government is serious in its struggle to fight for the return of state rights.

“If the restoration of equal status benefits the people of Sarawak, GPS will certainly agrees to it,” said Fadillah.