Chief Minister says Sarawak can resolve issues surrounding returning powers to the state
Taib launches the Sarawak Day 2017 celebration, witnessed by (from front left) Dr Sim, Awang Tengah, Abang Johari, Raghad, Uggah and Masing. – Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: The state will be able to resolve issues surrounding the devolution of power from Putrajaya, said Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said there is nothing Malaysians cannot solve as fellow citizens, including the state’s unhappiness over the centralisation of power over the years.
“But we have been able to resolve all these problems by sitting around a table, adopting the policy of give-and-take. We have overcome many of our teething problems.
“They will continue to arise but there’s nothing we cannot solve as fellow citizens. And I am now continuing the work of Datuk Patinggi (Tan Sri) Adenan (Satem) in discussing these matters of concern with the federal government,” he said during the Sarawak Day 2017 celebration at Kuching Waterfront yesterday.
He thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for being open to discussions with Sarawak regarding efforts to return certain powers to the state.
Abang Johari believed that the state would be able to regain powers according to the Federal Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement, the Malaysia Act, the Inter-Governmental Committee report and recommendations, and the Cobbold Commission Report, which have been eroded over the years.
“But in our negotiation with Putrajaya, we must do our homework first to make sure we are not firing blanks. This is why we sent our team of lawyers to London to study large volumes of documents in the British archives and other sources which were only recently classified in order to be able to determine the underlying spirit of the Malaysia Agreement.
“Therefore, very much contrary to some suggestions that we are inviting foreign intervention, the terms of reference of the London team has never been to get foreigners to intervene in our domestic affairs,” he said.
The chief minister stressed there is no need for Sarawak to leave Malaysia.
“We want to get back our rights and what belongs to us. We only want what belongs to us. It is as simple as that,” he pointed out.
Abang Johari called on Sarawakians to continue supporting him in discussions with the federal government to find amicable solutions to the central issue of the devolution of power.
He said Malaysia has been a success story of development by leaps and bounds over the years, where its per capita income and gross domestic product (GDP) have multiplied many times.
“Still it is not a perfect union but we strive to be a perfect union in the years to come,” he said.
Abang Johari also quoted Adenan who said: “We were Malaysia yesterday. We are Malaysia now. We are Malaysia tomorrow. And we are Malaysia forever.”
Among those present at the celebration were Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib; deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan; as well as Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Adenan first declared Sarawak Day a public holiday last year.