KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Open has described Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy president Salahuddin Ayuh as a ‘shallow thinker.’
Abang Johari was commenting on the accusation by Salahuddin that the state government’s move to send a delegation of lawyers to the UK to look for references on the state’s rights in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 would invite foreign interference into the country.
“So shallow, they are shallow – that’s all. Their thinking is very shallow. That reflects their leadership in their position.
“It is so difficult for us to rely on that sort of leadership,” he told reporters after the launch of Board of Engineers Malaysian (BEM) Roadshow (outreach programme) here yesterday.
Salahuddin had questioned if the state government had sought to resolve the matter locally before setting its sights abroad, saying that the move suggested conflict within the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition at the state and national levels.
“Did the Sarawak government speak to KL (the federal government) before taking this action?
“For us, this move is not smart as it will invite foreign intervention into the country,” he was quoted as saying.
Abang Johari said the mission of the team of lawyers, who would be in London for about a week, was to do fact finding.
Asked if the team would meet the legal team from the British government while in London, he said: “I tell you when they come back.”
The team of lawyers from the Sarawak government will be led by its Assistant Minister of Law, Federal-State Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
Commenting on the same issue, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Monday said Sarawak and Sabah have the right to research any information into the signing of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) as part of their bid to reclaim their rights.
He said that the federal government is adopting an open mind and is prepared to accept feedback on talks regarding the rights of the two Borneo states as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement.