By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 10: The matter of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is not for debate as its enforcement is a constitutional duty.
This is the view of Sarawakian activist Peter John Jaban, who pointed out that Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and his ministers are neither naive nor foolish to accept the suggestion of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and bring the issue of Sarawak’s oil and gas to be debated in Parliament.
Peter John believed that Sarawakian leaders fully understood the limitations of seeking justice through a Parliament where Sarawak and Sabah combined hold only 25 per cent of the total 222 seats, with Sabah holding 25 and Sarawak 31.
Therefore, Sarawak and Sabah do not have the parliamentary strength to assert or protect their rights effectively, he said.
“This is far below the one-third representation promised under the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“Our leaders are fully aware of this. That’s why they’re pursuing more effective and strategic channels, be it legal, administrative, or through direct engagement with the federal government.
“Sarawak’s rights are not up for debate. They are due for enforcement,” Peter John said in a statement in response to Dr Mahathir’s recent remarks suggesting that Sarawak’s pursuit of greater autonomy and control over its oil and gas resources should be brought to Parliament and not discussed behind closed doors.
Peter John stressed that to bring such a critical matter to Parliament, under these circumstances, is to ask Sarawak to argue for its rights in a house where its voice has already been weakened by design, which to him is not democracy but dilution.
He went on further to say that it was during Dr Mahathir’s time as prime minister that the erosion of MA63 accelerated.
“It is ironic to now suggest Parliament as the path forward, when that very institution has historically failed to protect our rights, partly due to the structural imbalance in representation.
”The reality is that the Malaysian Agreement 1963 is not about negotiations or parliamentary opinions. It is about the restoration of what was legally agreed upon.
“To now suggest a parliamentary route rings hollow, when meaningful restoration was not pursued during the decades when real power was in his hands,” said Peter John.
To him, Sarawak leadership is committed, and their decision over oil and gas fully aligns with the aspirations of the people of Sarawak, who are not seeking charity but rather, demanding the return of what is rightfully theirs under MA63—a binding international agreement that founded this nation. — DayakDaily
