KUCHING, April 14: All relevant MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963) treaty issues should be dealt with publicly and transparently, not in secret between elite parties.
Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) president Daniel Jambun and Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand (SSRANZ) president Robert Pei said this, concurring with Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Minister Armizan Ali’s statement on Tuesday (April 11).
Armizan, Free Malaysia Today reported, said the development of issues raised regarding MA63 would be monitored and shared to the public to prevent politicians from “dramatising” it to woo voters.
“We salute him for his brave and noble idea in wanting the civil servants, policymakers and all the people of the Borneo Territory to understand the context of MA63, unlike the previous government that wanted MA63 to be placed under the Official Secrets Act.
“It is outrageous that on the 60th anniversary of MA63, its terms are still not faithfully implemented after the British and Malayan governments induced Sabah and Sarawak to give up real independence for promises of a brilliant future in the Malayan Federation renamed Malaysia!,” said Daniel and Pei in a joint statement.
They also urged Armizan, who is a Sabahan himself, to “walk the talk” if he truly wants MA63 depoliticised.
“BoPiMaFo and SSRANZ would like to assist the new unity government to ensure the MA63 issue will come to a closure so that the more important agenda of development and the people’s welfare as a prime MA63 foundational undertaking by Malaya, will continue smoothly and quickly as much time has been wasted on endless political rhetoric,” they added.
Meanwhile, the joint statement was endorsed by several Sabah and Sarawak non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals including Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan and Sarawak Association of Peoples’ Aspirations (SAPA) president Dominique Ng. — DayakDaily
