Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
KUCHING: Opposition MP, Umno stalwart and supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz has been told to read back history books on how Malaysia was formed before making presumptions that Sarawak will lose its immigration autonomy upon gaining equal status with Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia as regions.
Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah yesterday said immigration autonomy is an integral right of Sarawak and there should not be any compromise on it.
“Likewise, it’s the same with the status of Sarawak as signatory to the Malaysia Agreement.
“Sarawak penned the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) with Federation of Malaya and not with Perak or any of the Malayan states,” pointed out Abdul Karim, who is Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) vice president and Asajaya assemblyman.
Batang Sadong MP Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri also joined the fray in countering Nazri.
“The spirit of MA63 is to safeguard and protect the interest of Sarawakians and Sabahans. From the time of the formation of Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah were equal partners with the states of the federation and Singapore, until Singapore left in 1965.
“Immigration was one element contained in the Inter Governmental Report which was later incorporated in the Federal Constitution,” said Nancy, who is former Minister of Law under the previous administration of the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Therefore, she said there is no reason why both Sarawak and Sabah would lose their autonomy on immigration once their territorial status is restored.
“The two Borneon territories are more cautious of their rights and what have been taken away from them.
“There will be no more of such ‘deprivation’ of their rights in the future. Lessons learnt, whereby we feel that we have been ‘colonised’ by our own parents.
“There shouldn’t be anymore of such treatment.”
Nancy said immigration is one element even the British acknowledged ought to be protected, in view of their environment and their situation.
“It’s time for us to enforce the written wishes as laid down in the Federal Constitution, as we repeatedly stated that we are merely asking for what is rightly ours.
“We are not asking for what belong to others,” said Nancy.
On Monday, Nazri, the Padang Rengas MP, told The Borneo Post that Sarawak might lose its immigration autonomy if equal status is restored.
He was reacting to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad’s backpedalling on his Sunday announcement that equal status for Sabah and Sabah
would be restored but a few hours later said that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government would require two-thirds majority in Parliament to table a bill on the matter.