19 MA63 items resolved so far, says DPM Fadillah

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By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, Dec 7: A total of 19 items under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) have been resolved so far, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof announced today.

According to a report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Fadillah who chairs the MA63 Implementation Action Council, highlighted the handover of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd to the state government via the Energy Commission of Sabah as one of the major achievements.

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The announcement came during a public dialogue at the closing of the Rancakkan Madani Bersama Malaysiaku event in Putrajaya.

However, Fadillah noted that several issues remain unresolved due to differences in legal interpretations, particularly involving the Federal Constitution and state laws.

“Because this is a legal matter, views at the state level may differ from those at the federal level. It’s not easy to resolve. But the majority of MA63 items have been settled,” he was quoted as saying.

At the same event, Fadillah confirmed that the 19 items were resolved under the current Madani government, while the previous federal administration had addressed four items.

Although he did not list all 19, he had previously disclosed nine items resolved under the Madani government during a media briefing in Kuching on Sept 12:

1. 1. Recognition of the Public Works Department (PWD) and Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) of Sabah and Sarawak as Technical Departments under Treasury Instruction 182 (AP182);
   2. Amendment to the Inland Revenue Board Act 1995 to include Sabah and Sarawak representatives as permanent members of the Board;
   3. Delegation of regulatory authority over gas supply in Sabah;
   4. Administration of the judiciary in Sabah and Sarawak;
   5. Preparation of special guidelines for the resumption of land reserved for federal purposes in Sabah and Sarawak;
   6. Delegation of regulatory authority over electricity supply to the Sabah government;
   7. Proposed amendment to Article 95B of the Federal Constitution regarding the division of legislative powers for Sabah and Sarawak;
   8. Amendments to the Sabah and Sarawak Labour Ordinances; and
   9. Status change of Bintulu port from a federal port to a state port.

Meanwhile, four items were resolved under previous federal administrations. These included the handover of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) regulatory powers to Sarawak during Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s tenure, while amendments to Articles 1(2) and 160(2) of the Federal Constitution, granting deep-sea fishing and licensing powers to Sabah and Sarawak, and the transfer of administrative authority over Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Ligitan to Sabah were resolved during Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration. – DayakDaily