A Sarawak minister has shot down a proposal by five civil society groups for a fresh Malaysia Agreement to be negotiated between the federal and Sabah and Sarawak governments to devolve power to the Bornean states.
Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah of Gabungan Parti Sarawak said he saw no need for such a deal to be negotiated and reached when the focus should be on fulfilling the original Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
However, Sabah deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan was more open to a renegotiated Malaysia Agreement, saying such a deal can be explored after the original is fully implemented.
Karim told FMT that the 1963 agreement had come about after much deliberation and discussion by Malaysia’s forefathers; however, the rights of Sabah and Sarawak in particular had been diminished through the decades.
“Our forefathers and those that penned the agreement had deliberated and discussed the rights, safeguards, and so on of the various states and regions that make up Malaysia.
“It’s incumbent on the leaders of Malaysia who came after to ensure that the hopes and rights of the various states and regions are respected, and not to deviate from the original intention of the agreement,” said Karim, who is information chief of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, the lynchpin part of the ruling GPS coalition.
Four NGOs and a think tank had proposed the signing of a fresh Malaysia Agreement, dubbed “MA63 Plus” to restore autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak as special regions. They cited a growing perception that the federal government was not committed to fulfilling the terms of MA63.
They said a renegotiated agreement should involve amendments to the Federal Constitution to secure devolved powers, instead of administrative concessions or transfer of power through ministerial decisions. Other states could also team up with Sabah and Sarawak to collectively negotiate more powers to all states.
Karim said he believed that the state governments in West Malaysia should also be allocated more legislative and executive power and responsibilities, since the nation practiced the principle of federalism.
“And Putrajaya must ensure equitable distribution of fiscal resources so that no state will be left behind. This should apply to Putrajaya‘s responsibilities to the Bornean states or regions too.”
Kitingan also supported devolving more federal powers to the respective state governments but said Sabah and Sarawak’s rights under MA63 must be fulfilled first.
“Malaysia’s legislative and executive powers are over-centralised. This slows down Malaysia’s growth, creates unnecessary costs and promotes corruption,” said Kitingan, who is president of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku.
