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SEVEN organisations today renewed a call for the state to hold a special assembly sitting on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
The groups said the state must compel Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to fulfil his promise to enforce the MA63 instead of repeating the promise that he would.
The groups are Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation; Sabah, Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand; Gindol Initiative for Civil Society; Persatuan Pembangunan Sosial Komuniti Sabah; Pertubuhan Kebajikan Rumpun Dayak Sabah; Republic of Sabah North Borneo; and Sabah, Sarawak Borneo Native Organisation Inc.
“The MA63 agreement is not a private government concern; it's a fundamental document impacting the lives and futures of all Sabahans. Since 1963, we have waited in vain for official public discourse and participation in this critical issue,” said the groyos said in a joint statement.
They urged Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji to call for a special sitting to discuss the contract.
Hajiji had previously refused to do so.
The call came amid discussions between the state and the federal governments on the enforcement of MA63 and court proceedings associated with Sabah's constitutional rights to be given 40% of the revenue collected from the state.
The groups said Hajiji’s role as the chief minister was to serve the interests of the Sabah people and believed the assurances and promises enshrined in
They said the MA63 agreement could be upheld with the unanimous support of state leaders in the Sabah assembly.
Sabah has suffered numerous broken promises from the federal government, from a breach to the state's security to the surrender of its oil and gas resources to Petronas, they said.
This can be seen in the presence of illegal immigrants who have been inexplicably issued documents and allowed to vote, they said.
“The MA63 revenue entitlement is a good example of how we have secret governance instead of open and transparent governance. It has taken 50 years for the issue to come to light, and even so, the Sabah government acted improperly to oppose the Sabah Law Society's 40% review in the Court of Appeal," said the statement.
“We demand a full and frank explanation from the chief minister. The future of Sabah hinges on a fair and just resolution to this long-standing issue. It is now time to allow all the people to freely express their views on MA63 and Malaysia." – June 8, 2023.
