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KUCHING: An opposition assemblyman from Sarawak today criticized the establishment of a new committee to study the way forward for the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under the 1963 Malaysia Accord. He said the move was a “serious disservice” to all the inhabitants of Sarawak and Sabahans.
He said the new Perikatan Nasional federal government had “taken ten steps backward” after a special cabinet committee under the previous Pakatan Harapan government had taken five steps forward to advance the restoration of Sarawak’s special interests and Sabah.
Batu Lintang Assemblyman See Chee How said the Sarawak and Sabah governments had reached an agreement with the federal government on 17 of 21 issues.
“By dissolving the committee and establishing a new one, the new federal government of Perikatan Nasional (PN), of which the state coalition government Gabungan Parti Sarawak is a part, has taken ten steps back.”
He said this after the Minister of Business Development and Cooperatives, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, revealed that the cabinet is establishing a new special committee on MA63 to analyze the findings of the Cobbold Commission on the formation of Malaysia and the reports of the intergovernmental committee, as well as Malaysia. Act more systematically and holistically.
See said the move was part of the federal government’s plan to halt the process of restoring the two states’ special rights and a delaying tactic to achieve the return of autonomous powers to Sarawak and Sabah.
He said the new Cabinet Special Committee can call meetings with the two state governments to agree on the remaining four issues and any other issues.
He said Wan Juanidi appeared to hint that the GPS government had backtracked in its resolution to amend Article 1 (2) of the Federal Constitution, in which Sabah and Sarawak were listed separately as component members of Malaysia.
