By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Jan 26: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof said efforts to explain the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to Members of Parliament (MPs) remain a continuous process, as not all are willing to understand the issue.
“Even when it is explained, there are those who want to understand, those who do not want to understand, and those who really do not want to understand at all,” he told reporters during a doorstep interview after attending the ‘Boundless Horizons: A Sarawak Fireside Chat on Aspiration and Impact’ organised by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Alumni Network Malaysia at the Pullman Hotel here last night (Jan 25).
He said feedback received from MPs following his advocacy on MA63 clearly showed who was prepared to support the agenda and who was not.
“From there, we can categorise the MPs—those who want to understand MA63 and stand with us, and those who understand but choose not to be with us. At least now we know the numbers,” he said.
According to Fadillah, this would be crucial when MA63-related matters are brought to Parliament, particularly issues requiring a two-thirds majority.
“When it comes to voting, we already know whether we can secure a two-thirds majority or not. From there, we can plan our strategy,” he added.
He stressed that Sabah and Sarawak were not making new demands under MA63, but were merely seeking the rights already provided for in the Agreement and the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report.
Earlier, during the fireside chat session, Fadillah said many people in Peninsular Malaysia, including MPs, still lacked a proper understanding of MA63 because the history of Malaysia’s formation was never fully emphasised in the national education system.
As such, he said Malaysia must revive the “spirit of Malaysia” based on MA63.
“I believe we must return to the spirit of Malaysia’s formation. This is what we are focusing on now—getting Cabinet members and MPs in particular to understand by going back to MA63 and the IGC Report.
“This is not about Sarawak wanting everything. What we want is for our rights to be respected and honoured.
“Sarawak will not take everything. Whatever we take, we give back to the federal government through taxes and other contributions,” he stated. – DayakDaily
