By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, July 27: The Federal government must thoroughly understand and implement the legal and comprehensive studies regarding the claims of Sabah and Sarawak under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), said Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap.
Yap emphasised the importance of this understanding during his lecture titled ‘MA63 — State and Federal Laws’ at the Borneo States Symposium ‘The Dreams and Visions of the Peoples of the Borneo States’ held today at the Borneo Cultures Museum here.
“The Federal unity government must follow the rule of law, and a thorough study of constitutional, legal, financial, and political documents must be properly undertaken, with any breaches rectified immediately,” he stated.
Yap, who is a lawyer by profession, further stressed that the provisions under MA63, especially those concerning the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC), must be effectively implemented.
“One systematic approach is to form a Federal-State relationship committee to monitor the implementation of Federal and State policies and ensure that Federal and State departments’ responsibilities do not overlap.
“Second, any attempt to revisit MA63 must be done with the aim of restructuring the Federation of Malaysia in which the states are empowered to make decisions on their own according to their uniqueness and needs,” he explained.
Yap went on to say that the MA63 Special Cabinet Committee was formed to ensure that it could look into the issue of decentralising Federal power to Sabah and Sarawak.
The symposium, held for the second time this year following its initial success in Kota Kinabalu last year, featured notable panellists, including Yap, former state attorney-general Datuk Seri Fong Joo Chung, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan, former Sabah Law Society (SLS) president Datuk Roger Chin, and Moyog assemblyman Datuk Darell Leiking. The forum was moderated by Professor Dr James Chin. — DayakDaily
