HANG TUAH JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said regardless of the current administration’s shortcomings, his government has not downgraded Sabah and Sarawak’s demands as secondary.
Anwar also said his administration was the first to treat their demands, including those contained in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), as a national agenda.
The PKR president said the party never viewed MA63 as a matter that only concerned Sabah and Sarawak.
“It is a national agenda. For the country to succeed, Peninsular Malaysia must work with Sabah and Sarawak. All three must progress together,” he said when officiating the party’s congress here.
Anwar said it did not matter that adopting such an approach may not result in the party garnering more votes at an election as Malaysians in the peninsula generally do not take such things into account when casting their ballots.
“But it is the right thing (to do). We need to be just and development must benefit every single person in this country.”Anwar went on to say there was still room for improvement in implementing MA63 demands.
The Sarawak government had earlier this month urged Putrajaya to resolve all outstanding matters relating to MA63 by December this year.
About 13 matters in the MA63 have already been resolved, while five have been resolved on an interim basis. Two remain unresolved although policy decisions have been made.
Four issues are still under discussion and five have been referred to “the highest level” in Putrajaya for consideration.
Among the key MA63 matters that Putrajaya has already resolved is the handover of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd to the Sabah government.
Today, Anwar said he often discussed matters related to Sarawak-owned Petros and national oil company Petronas with premier Abang Johari Openg.
“Our policy must reflect the willingness of the federal government and Petronas to ensure a strong and comfortable working relationship between Petronas and Petros so that we can move forward.”
