Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali
KUCHING: Sarawak’s de facto law minister is grateful for the federal cabinet’s decision to table a proposal to restore Sabah and Sarawak’s status as equal partners, but not without strong reservations.
“We welcome the announcement and we are grateful to the Prime Minister for that. (However) Equality in status alone is not enough,” stressed Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
Hasidah said she wants the federal government to prove its sincerity by giving Sabah and Sarawak equal development.
“What is important is also equality in terms of development with Malaya,” she said.
Hasidah also demanded that the federal government to prove their sincerity by giving back Sarawak’s rights that have been eroded over the years.
“Our rights must be given back to us, like our rights towards our resources found within our sea boundaries, rights towards our oil and gas, review of special grants, sales tax, autonomy, and more,” she stressed.
“We hope to have financial power through the return of our rights. Only then will equal status be worthwhile,” she concluded.
Hasidah was commenting on the announcement made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong that the Cabinet has agreed to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners under one nation.
Liew said the decision to amend the constitution was reached at the Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, and was a major step towards the implementation of and compliance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).