KUCHING: The Parliament of Malaysia cannot be the forum to discuss Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
It can only serve to discuss whether the benefits under MA63 due to Sarawak have been fulfilled, said Sarawak Baru, a loose coalition of station-based opposition parties comprising State Reformed Party (Star), Sarawak Workers’ Party (SWP) and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) yesterday.
In a joint press statement issued after a press conference, the coalition said it must be noted that in Parliament of Malaysia, Sarawak has only 31 out of 222 MPs.
“So even if all the 31 MPs are on the Sarawak’s side, Sarawak can never win its argument in Parliament because it will be outvoted. Under MA63, Sarawak is a partner. And as a partner in the formation of Malaysia, Sarawak should stand equal to Malaya, and equal to Sabah,” it added.
On that understanding the terms of MA63 should never be the subject for renegotiation in Parliament, it argued.
Sarawak Baru said those terms as had been written in MA63 and agreed to by our forefathers who signed it, had formed the basis for the formation of Malaysia.
The terms include the inalienable right for self-determination by the people which must remain sacrosanct, it pointed out.
“In this regard, the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution that thereby had reduced Sarawak to the Number 13 State in a federation of Malaysia of 13 states is to be regarded as ultra vires the MA63.
“Parliament of Malaysia must reinstate Sarawak and Sabah to their status ante’ the amendment of 1976,” it said.
On another note, Sarawak Baru said MA63 is an international treaty and hence, the Special Federal Cabinet Committee (SFCC) is not the correct forum to deliberate on the matter.
It said SFCC could not purport to change the course of or to water-down the effects of the terms of MA63, let alone change any of its terms.
Sarawak Baru suggested that if it was to renegotiate the implementation of the terms of MA63 in respect of Sarawak, then a full committee must be set up by Sarawak Government first before talking with a committee representing Malaya.
“And Malaya must not be represented by the federal government. In this Malaya must come as one single entity, and not as one that comprise 11 states; otherwise it is like 11 states in Malaya versus one state of Sarawak. The UK government as the principal signatory of MA63 must also be included in the MA63 Committee,” it added.
Sarawak Baru said they were for a Malaysia that should work within the framework of MA63, and not outside it.
Present at the joint press conference were Star president Lina Soo, PBDSB deputy president Patrick Anek Uren and SWP president Munan Laja.
