Anwar: MA63 negotiations prove only politicians with strong political will give tangible results

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Anwar (centre), flanked by Abang Johari and Fadillah, gestures while speaking. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING (Jan 20): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim believes he has proven only politicians with strong political will can give tangible results, especially with the recent big announcements of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) today.

Reiterating his utmost commitment in resolving outstanding MA63 issues, Anwar said he hopes the fulfilment of the conditions will pave the way to even better relations between the Borneo states and the federal government.

He said he had successfully realised seven to eight matters pertaining to MA63 within two months of his premiership and since the formation of the Unity Government in November last year.

“I told the first Cabinet meeting and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof to chair the Technical Committee and always contact the Premier of Sarawak and Sabah Chief Minister – this is not a problem or me.

“You can see that we have managed to resolve seven or eight MA63-related issues in a very short time and to think that we have not reached two months of administration,” he told reporters after chairing the MA63 action implementation meeting at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly Complex here today.

Anwar, in extolling the outcome of the efforts to restore the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under MA63, said such efforts were not mere political theatre to gain the support of Sarawak and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), but to shoulder the responsibility entrusted to him.

“I don’t just want to side with Sabah and Sarawak – but I respect commitment and responsibility. We don’t want politicians to be said to ‘only talk’ but not deliver or give commitment; I want the rakyat to understand that politics is about integrity,” he said.

Among the matters that came to fruition are the devolution of power to directly implement development projects worth up to RM50 million to the Public Works Department of Sarawak and Sabah respectively; the appointment of a Sarawakian representative as a member of the Inland Revenue Board; additional allocation for upgrading the infrastructure of Sabah and Sarawak’s Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security Complex at the Indonesian border; returning state land issues; as well as the increase in amount of annual special grant under the provisions of Article 112D of the Federal Constitution for Sarawak from RM16 million to RM300 million.

Anwar also attributed the determination of Fadillah and the technical committee for the success of these resolutions.

“With such determination, I believe more demands will be able to be resolved under the current administration. The backlog is very small – even for Article 112D, the method has been reached.

“All efforts to restore the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under MA63 are showing increasingly positive outcomes because the action council does not only discuss, but also monitor, the implementation of all related matters because it has been brought up for decades.

“I appreciate the response of the Premier of Sarawak and the state government in speeding up the implementation process, including our friend the Chief Minister of Sabah in resolving MA63,” he said.

Anwar arrived in Kuching on Thursday for his first official visit to Sarawak since assuming the post of prime minister.