MP SPEAKS | More transparency needed from govt on Sabah-Sarawak rights

MP SPEAKS | It is disappointing that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has decided to shelve the formation of the MA63 parliamentary select committee, on top of deciding against tabling the final report from the MA63 special cabinet committee in Parliament.

The parliamentary select committee was meant to monitor the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). This is clearly against the spirit of accountability and transparency especially when it comes to something so important - our rights under MA63.

This gives the impression that the PN government has everything to hide and does not intend to implement the 17 out of 21 items that were agreed to before. 

While I understand another four issues have not been resolved, there is no reason the other items that have been agreed to cannot be revealed to the public.

On top of that, this select committee was not just an issue that was fought for by the previous Pakatan Harapan government, but also by MPs especially from GPS when they were in the opposition. Now that they are in the government with Umno and PAS, suddenly they changed their stand and now say that there is no need for such a parliamentary committee.

This parliamentary committee is so important because it empowers the Parliament as well as the MPs to make sure that what was agreed under the special cabinet committee is properly implemented according to the proper timeline.

This committee will include both sides of the political divide, both the government and opposition, and such important matters should be monitored by all MPs regardless of political allegiance, especially when it involves our rights.

What is even more disappointing is how the deputy minister of Sabah & Sarawak affairs did not really answer all the pertinent questions that were raised and only claimed she was following the orders of the executive.

This was the reason we lost our rights under the previous BN government in the first place when they only followed along with instructions from above.

She did not even dare clarify the current federal government's stand on the validity of the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA 1974)even though she is a federal deputy minister representing the federal government.

In Sarawak, GPS leaders are so vocal claiming how the PDA 1974 is not valid, but in Parliament, as PDA 1974 is a federal law, they do not dare make a stand.

That is why I urge the current PN government to first and foremost allow the report by the special cabinet committee on MA63 to be tabled in Parliament for all to debate.

I also urge the government to allow the formation of the parliamentary select committee to make sure there is a bipartisan Parliament monitoring of the implementation of the 17 of 21 items based on the agreed timeline.

Let us not repeat the mistake in 1974 and 1976 where our rights were surrendered purely due to “following instructions” without input from the people of Sabah and Sarawak who would ultimately feel the effects of that decision.

KELVIN YII is MP for Bandar Kuching.

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