By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 13: The Madani government has successfully resolved nine claims under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to date, with notable progress for Sarawak, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
In a news report by national news agency Bernama, Fadillah, who also serves as Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said the resolutions included recognising the Public Works Department (JKR) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) in Sabah and Sarawak as Technical Departments under Treasury Instruction 182 (AP182).
Additionally, amendments to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) Act 1995 now allow representatives from the state governments of Sabah and Sarawak to serve as permanent members of LHDN.
“Other matters resolved included the transfer of authority to regulate gas supply in Sabah, the administration of the judiciary in Sabah and Sarawak, and the preparation of special guidelines for reclaiming land reserved for federal purposes in Sabah and Sarawak,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued today.
Earlier, Fadillah chaired the first Technical Committee Meeting of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (JKTMTPM63) for 2025 at the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya.
Explaining further, Fadillah stated that the Madani government had successfully completed the transfer of electricity regulatory powers to the Sabah state government.
Additionally, a proposed amendment to Article 95B of the Federal Constitution was finalised to modify the distribution of legislative powers for Sabah and Sarawak.
He also mentioned that the Madani government had converted Bintulu Port’s status from a federal port to a state port, alongside improvements to the workforce management in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Moreover, the special interim grant allocated to Sabah and Sarawak has been doubled to RM600 million each, starting this year,” he added.
Regarding today’s meeting, Fadillah emphasised its importance in enabling the government to plan pragmatic follow-up actions concerning unresolved issues or claims under MA63.
He noted this aligns with the decision made during the first Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on September 12 last year.
Fadillah further said the meeting reviewed six presentation papers from various ministries and departments, including updates from the Ministry of Finance and the Working Committee on Civil Service in Sabah and Sarawak.
Additionally, discussions covered the proposed amendment of Item 25A (Tourism) from List I (Federal List) to List III (Joint List) of the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
“Other topics included developments in the Sabah-Sarawak-Kalimantan border area and reports from Joint Action Committee meetings on health and education development in Sabah and Sarawak,” he explained.
All decisions reached today will be presented at the next meeting for consideration and approval, while unresolved matters under MA63 will continue to be monitored and addressed by the Technical Committee under MTPMA63, said Fadillah. — DayakDaily
