LABUAN, May 7: The federal government is currently finalising the process of handing over its reserve land in Sarawak and Sabah to both regions in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
According to a report by Bernama, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali revealed this to reporters after a briefing on the development of Federal Territory of Labuan Native Court’s restricting yesterday (May 6).
He said the reserve land involved those identified as undeveloped for a long time in Sarawak and Sabah.
“In the event that the Sarawak and Sabah governments want to take the land, it is allowed, with certain guidelines.
“It has been discussed by the MA63 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), and the office of the director-general of Lands and Mines will finalise the guidelines,” he said.
The report further said that after the handing over process, Sarawak and Sabah would become the absolute owners of the land.
Armizan further mentioned that there is a positive development in the efforts to restore the privileges of Sarawak and Sabah as enshrined in MA63 through a platform created by the government and no longer only through a political platform.
The special platform, the Devolution of Authority Committee (JKDA), was established in 2016 to discuss issues related to MA63.
The committee was added to the special Cabinet committee in 2018, appointed as the Special Council on MA63 in 2020, and further empowered as the MA63 Implementation Action Council under the Unity government in 2022. — DayakDaily
