MA63: 11 demands resolved, seven during Anwar's time, DPM says

A total of 11 demands under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) negotiation platform have been resolved, said Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof.

He said seven demands were settled under the administration of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, including the designation of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Sabah and Sarawak as a Technical Department; the handover of regulatory power over gas supply; and amendments to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) Act 1995 (Act 533) to appoint representatives from the Sabah and Sarawak state governments as permanent members of the IRB.

Fadillah, who is also the chairperson of the MA63 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) technical committee, said the resolution also covered demands related to the administration of the judiciary in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as special guidelines for the return of reserved land for federal purposes in Sabah and Sarawak.

“The transfer of regulatory power over electricity and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) from the federal government to Sabah and the proposed amendment to Article 95B regarding legislative adaptation for Sabah and Sarawak were also resolved.

“Under the leadership of the 10th prime minister (Anwar), more matters have been decided upon within these two years,” he told reporters after attending an MTPMA63 meeting at the Sabah International Convention Centre in Kota Kinabalu today.

The meeting, chaired by Anwar, was also attended by Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor and Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg.

Also present were the three deputy chief ministers of Sabah: Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Joachim Gunsalam, and Shahelmey Yahya; as well as the three deputy premiers of Sarawak: Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Sim Kui Hian, and Douglas Uggah Embas.

Fadillah said three other demands were resolved during the tenure of former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, including the handover of administrative power over Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Ligitan to Sabah.

He added that the handover of regulatory control over Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to Sarawak was carried out during the administration of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said the MTPMA63 meetings were crucial in enabling the government to plan pragmatic follow-up actions regarding unresolved MA63 demands.

“As part of this commitment, we have decided to improve the negotiation platform structure between the three governments (federal, Sabah, and Sarawak) by strengthening it through the appointment of new members to the MTPMA63 platform,” he added.

- Bernama

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