Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
SIBU: The Prime Minister’s assurance that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government would return the status of equal partners to Sabah and Sarawak as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is a historic declaration.
In lauding the assurance, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah described it as a good step towards a greater and harmonious Malaysia.
“Definitely…this declaration is much awaited by all Sabahans and Sarawakians.
“Finally, Putrajaya has accepted the fact that Sabah and Sarawak are regions that formed Malaysia and not just mere states like the other states in Peninsular Malaysia.
“A good step towards a greater and harmonious Malaysia,” the Asajaya assemblyman told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Abdul Karim was responding to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s announcement in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday that the PH government would return equal status to Sabah and Sarawak as enshrined in the MA63 when Malaysia was formed 55 years ago.
Dr Mahathir had said that the status of Sabah and Sarawak, which changed from equal partners (with Malaya) to states within the federation (of Malaysia), would be reverted to the original position once a study on MA63 was completed.
The prime minister had said returning the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners as per MA63 would give a solid foundation to strengthen ties between the three regions (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak).
Speaking at the national-level 2018 Malaysia Day celebration there, Dr Mahathir had said the study on MA63 would certainly raise the need for a review of several practices that were implemented before this.