Kota Kinabalu: A coalition of major Sabah and Sarawak civil society groups formally accepted an invitation from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud to enter into dialogue.
The joint statement, issued from Melbourne by the Sabah & Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand (SSRANZ) alongside Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) and Republic of Sabah North Borneo (RSNB), signals both willingness to engage constructively and a firm resolve to place the most fundamental questions about the federation on the negotiating table.
While the Federal Government likely expected discussions centred on implementing the MA1963, the civil society groups made clear their vision for the dialogue is much wider.
They proposed examining four substantive pillars:Whether the formation of Malaysia actually met international standards of decolonisation, self-determination, and the free consent of the peoples of Sabah and SarawakThe legal status, validity, and full implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and original constitutional safeguardsThe fundamental nature and future of the federal relationship between Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular MalaysiaHow the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak may freely express their political will, including through appropriate democratic mechanisms.“We approach these matters without seeking to prejudge the outcome. Our position is that questions concerning Malaysia’s founding basis should be examined peacefully, transparently, and with reference to historical evidence, constitutional principles, international law and democratic consent,” the statement declared.
The groups also moved to defuse controversy sparked when SSKM displayed the Malaysian national flag upside down in Melbourne on Oct. 24 2026.
The incident drew sharp criticism from some quarters, with accusations it was an insult to national honour.
The statement said: “In a direct proposal to demonstrate good faith on both sides, the coalition called on the Malaysian Government and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to lift the blocking of SSKM’s Facebook platform.
“Peaceful political advocacy should not be penalised merely because it advances views that challenge existing constitutional arrangements. Restoring access would be a constructive confidence-building measure and would demonstrate that the proposed dialogue is intended to be open, inclusive and conducted without punitive restrictions on peaceful expression.”Rejecting any limitation on who should be at the table, the coalition insisted the dialogue must be inclusive:“Participation should not be confined to SSRANZ, SSKM and RSNB. We propose that relevant Sabah and Sarawak NGOs, political parties, community representatives and peaceful activists who share similar concerns should have an opportunity to participate.”The statement emphasised that while development funding and administrative concessions are welcome, they cannot substitute for serious engagement with fundamental questions about the federal relationship and the freely expressed will of the people.
Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) has been designated as the liaison body to coordinate with the Government on arrangements, participation, agenda and rules of engagement.
The groups await Mustapha’s reply.
