PETALING JAYA: Sarawak’s status as a founding partner of Malaysia must always be upheld and respected, says its premier Abang Johari Openg.
Abang Johari maintained that the Bornean state was not a "passive participant" but had a central role in Malaysia’s establishment, given that Sarawak was previously a sovereign nation with its own constitution.
“Sarawak has its own political system and governance, with defined borders and its own people. Sarawak cannot and should not be diminished or downgraded from its status as a founding partner of Malaysia.
"This is the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which our leaders championed during negotiations with other independence leaders and the British," he was quoted as saying by The Borneo Post.
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Meanwhile, the Sarawak premier said several more issues under MA63 had yet to be resolved, but he was confident that Putrajaya, Sarawak and Sabah would be able to reach an agreement.
These issues include Sarawak’s right to collect stamp duties and taxes from the sale of property, which Abang Johari said could reach hundreds of millions of ringgit a year.
Previously, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said 11 demands under the MA63 negotiation platform had been successfully resolved, with seven of them settled under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
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