Ongkili stressed it was unthinkable for any loyal Malaysian to abandon MA63 in place of a new agreement, whose contents have not even been considered. — Bernama photo
KOTA KINABALU (July 6): Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili has described the recent proposal for a new Malaysia Agreement as “short-sighted” and said it “would not strengthen” the country.
Disagreeing with Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) said the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is a sacred foundation document of the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
“Which means, no MA63, no Malaysia. Further, with the constitutional amendment unanimously passed by Parliament in December 2021, MA63 is now part of the Federal Constitution.
“The proposal for a new Malaysia Agreement, as suggested by Tok Mat, and supported by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is simply short-sighted and would not strengthen Malaysia,” Ongkili said in a statement today.
He stressed it was unthinkable for any loyal Malaysian to abandon MA63 in place of a new agreement, whose contents have not even been considered.
“Will the new agreement strengthen the foundation document of MA63, or abandon it? Based on limited exposition by proposers of the new agreement, the misguided thinking is to desert MA63 in place of a new one.”
He concurred with Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahmah Hamzah in describing the new proposal as a “crazy idea” stating that no one should change the fundamental agreement which led to the formation of Malaysia.
Ongkili stressed that to desert MA63 is to abandon the Federation of Malaysia.
“It is tantamount to breaking the bonds that bound and united the Malaya Federation, North Borneo, and Sarawak in 1963, thereby returning us to our original status and restarting a new search again for our respective state identity.
“Is that what Malaysians want? Be careful in what we expound in our search for our true nation-building. Take full caution when uttering thoughtless suggestions that will weaken what our forefathers and all of us have achieved in nation-building.
“We must build for strength, peace, and solidarity. We must avoid playing with semantics and politics,” Ongkili warned.
During the recent Sabah Barisan Nasional convention, Mohamad had called on the coalition’s leadership to propose a new Malaysia Agreement as a more concrete way forward towards realising the state’s rights and demands enshrined under MA63.