By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 7: More than six decades after the formation of Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah are still struggling with unequal development and have yet to experience genuine national unity, says Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He acknowledged that while some progress has been made, the pace of infrastructure development in both Borneo regions remains far behind that of Peninsular Malaysia, leaving many rural communities still lacking in basic amenities.
“Even after 60 years, I cannot say that we have achieved the kind of unity we should have,” Nanta said during the Interviu x Podcast Sinar Harian programme titled ‘Perspektif Politik dari Bumi Kenyalang: Suara Timur Malaysia’, which aired live today on Sinar Harian’s YouTube channel.
“People in Sarawak and Sabah are still not satisfied with the level of development.
“For example, treated water has not reached all remote villages, and telecommunications remain an issue.
“That’s why there’s growing sentiment among Sarawakians and Sabahans that we deserve more,” he added.
Citing his constituency as an example, Nanta, who also serves as Kapit assemblyman, said it took more than five decades before a proper road connection was finally built to link Kapit to the outside world.
“For the longest time, Kapit was like an island within an island. We relied solely on boat transport from Sibu until just about eight years ago, when road connectivity was finally established,” he said.
Due to such long delays, Nanta explained, many Sarawakians continue to feel sidelined, leading to stronger sentiments on the region’s status as a founding partner of Malaysia rather than just one of its states.
He emphasised that this is why Sarawak leaders have been calling for a reassessment of matters agreed upon under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“People often say Sarawak and Sabah joined Malaysia, but that’s not correct. We formed Malaysia. We were never just a state that joined. That distinction is important,” he stressed.
Nanta said such sentiments have driven the Sarawak government, under Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, to push for more autonomy and development, with the State now taking the lead in certain sectors.
“Let Sarawak do what it can with the resources it has. That’s why we’re revisiting the MA63 terms, to understand where we stand and what our rightful entitlements are,” he said. — DayakDaily
