Sixteen demands out of 29 under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) are still under review by the technical committee of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), says deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah said the demands involve issues related to education, healthcare, oil royalties, petroleum cash payments, oil minerals and fields, the Territorial Sea Act 2012 (Act 750), as well as state rights over the continental shelf.
He said 13 claims have been resolved – nine under the current government and four during the previous administration.
“Among the claims resolved under the Madani government’s administration are the recognition of the public works department, and the irrigation and drainage department in Sabah and Sarawak as technical departments under Treasury Instruction 182 (AP182), as well as the transfer of electricity regulatory authority to the Sabah government.
“They also include the amendment to the Inland Revenue Board Act 1995 to appoint representatives from the Sabah and Sarawak governments as permanent members of LHDN, as well as amendments to the Sabah and Sarawak labour ordinances,” Bernama reported him as saying during the winding-up debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Fadillah said the MTPMA63, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, was established to review the demands submitted by the Sabah and Sarawak governments, based on the legal framework and implementation of the agreed-upon claims.
“The Madani government is fully committed to expediting the resolution of all MA63 demands. However, the timeframe for resolving each demand is subject to the relevant legal processes.
“The readiness of the Sabah and Sarawak governments in terms of operations, human resources and finances must also be considered before a claim under MA63 can be resolved,” he said.
