Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Masing has been criticised for his insistence on excluding the opposition from talks on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said this was inherently undemocratic, akin to ignoring the voices of more than 30 percent of Sarawakians who voted for the opposition in the recent state election.

"This is politics of exclusion. It is not in line with the chief minister's inclusive approach since taking up office.

"It may promote divisiveness among the people when we should be united on this issue," Baru said in a statement yesterday.

Also yesterday, Masing said that if the matter was best discussed in the open, such as in Sarawak legislative assembly, then it would be a forum for political one-up-manship and publicity.

Masing said this would not be productive and it was better to talk about MA63 within closed doors.

Last Saturday, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) convention in Penampang that he was open to talks on MA63.

Najib said Sarawak and Sabah should talk to him about MA63 instead of threatening to secede.

In recent years, calls of secession has been increasing on grounds that Putrajaya does not honour the terms of MA63, which promises limited autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak, among others.

The term MA63 actually refers to two agreements: The 20-point agreement concerning Sarawak and the 18-point agreement concerning Sabah.

Former Upko leader and not Parti Cinta Sabah president Wilfred Bumburing said Najib had misconstrued calls for MA63 to be upheld.

"Whenever we demand for the reinstatement of the MA63, this should not be construed as a kind of secession-ism, an idea that alleges those MA63 proponents as being anti-Malaysia," Bumburing said.