Dr Yii disappointed PN govt decided to shelve formation of PSC to monitor MA63 implementation

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KUCHING (Aug 11): Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii has expressed his disappointment that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has decided to shelve the formation of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to monitor to implementation of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

He said on top of that, PN has also decided against tabling the final report from the MA63 Special Cabinet Committee in Parliament.

“This is clearly against the spirit of accountability and transparency especially when it comes to something so important especially our rights under MA63,” he said in a statement today.

He said such action gave the impression that the PN government has everything to hide and do not intend to implement the 17 out of 21 issues that was agreed before.

“While I understand the four other issues have not been resolved, but there is no reason the other issues that have been agreed cannot be revealed to the public.

“On top of that, this select committee was not just an issue that was fought for by the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, but also the MPs especially from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) when they were in the opposition. Now that they are in the government with Umno and PAS, suddenly they changed their stand and now say that there is no need for such PSC,” he said.

Dr Yii pointed out that the PSC is crucial because it empowers the Parliament as well as the Members of Parliament to make sure what was agreed under the Special Cabinet Committee is properly implemented according to the proper timeline.

“This committee will include both side of the political divide, namely the government and opposition, and such important matter should be monitored among all Members of Parliament regardless of political divide especially when it involves the rights of all of us,” he said.

He also expressed his disappointment at how Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Dato Hanifah Hajar Taib did not answer all the pertinent questions that were raised during her winding up of the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address at the Dewan Rakyat in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

“This was the reason we lost our rights under the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the first place when they only followed along instructions from above.”

Dr Yii claimed that Hanifah did not clarify the current federal government’s stand on the validity of the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) even though she is a federal deputy minister representing the federal government.

He said in Sarawak, GPS leaders have been vocal in claiming “how the PDA is not valid, but in Parliament as PDA is a federal law, they did not dare make a stand.”

“That is why I urge the current PN government to first and foremost allow the report by the Special Cabinet Committee on MA63 to be tabled in Parliament for all to debate and then allow the formation of the PSC to make sure there is a bipartisan parliament monitoring of the implementation of it based on the agreed timeline.

“Let us not repeat the mistake in 1974 and 1976 where our rights were surrendered purely due to ‘following instructions’ without the consultation of the people of Sabah and Sarawak that feels the effects of that decision,” he said.