KUCHING, Nov 22: All the talk about debating Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is merely for cheap political mileage, said State Reform Party Sarawak (STAR) president Lina Soo.
“All the talk about discussion, debate and re-negotiation of MA63 is merely hogwash intended to deceive the voters, as the general elections draws near,” she said in a statement today.
She was referring to the statement of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia who said that Sabah shared equal status with every other state. Soo said that the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) politician was grossly mistaken as Sabah and Sarawak did not sign any treaty with Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu.
Soo said that as MA63 is an international treaty between nations and registered with the United Nations in 1970, it will make Malaysia a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community for it to be raised in Parliament and not reviewed at the inter-governmental level (G2G) for non-compliance and breach.
“All that the Malaysian government need do is to execute and comply with the treaty where all the terms and clauses have already been inked, signed and sealed on July 9, 1963,” she added
“By calling for the Malaysia Agreement to be debated in Parliament, this clearly shows the politicians’ lack of knowledge and understanding of the international treaty, and who are simply jumping on the bandwagon for cheap political mileage,” said Soo.
She explained that Parliament is not the constitutional platform to discuss or debate any issues concerning MA63 as Parliament is a subordinate institution created by MA63 to facilitate the formation of Malaysia. Without MA63, there would be no Malaysia, and no federal government or constitution.
MA63 is an international treaty where all the signatories are represented by the respective heads of governments namely: the British government; the Malaya government established under The Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957; the North Borneo government now known as Sabah; the Sarawak government; and the Singapore government which left the Federation of Malaysia in 1965.
Without the participation of the respective governments who signed the treaty, any discussion, new dealings or re-negotiation by other parties is improper and unconstitutional.
The Federal Parliament and government is not a signatory and not privy to MA63, and Sarawak and Sabah did not sign the treaty with any of the 11 states of the Federation of Malaya. — Dayak Daily
