PENAMPANG, May 31 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has assured that any long-standing issues relating to matters agreed between the Federal and Sabah governments in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) will be resolved immediately.
To avoid further delays, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof has also been instructed to chair the MA63 Action Council as a platform to resolve the matters.
The MA63 Action Council also includes Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali and Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, who are the MPs for Papar and Penampang, respectively, in Sabah.
“Doing our best to resolve MA63 issues. Within its first year, the Madani government has resolved more issues relating to MA63 than what has been done over the past 10 years,” he said during the closing ceremony of the Kaamatan Festival at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association’s (KDCA) Hongkod Koisaan Hall today.
Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzli, Armizan, and KDCA president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
Anwar said the Federal government, under his leadership, will have no problems fulfilling what was promised in MA63 as soon as the Sabah government is ready in all related matters, like the handover of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd's (SESB) ownership to the state government.
In January, the Federal government agreed to hand over the regulatory power of Sabah's electricity supply and SESB to the Sabah government in phases as part of an effort to dignify MA63.
The Prime Minister said the Federal government is always concerned about Sabah’s needs and has never neglected its responsibility to deal with the problems faced by the state. In fact, the allocation channelled to Sabah is also higher than in other states.
The government’s concerns were not only to fulfil the demands in MA63 but also to lure investors, improve infrastructure and eradicate hardcore poverty in the state.
“Since I became Prime Minister, if we look at the total allocation for Sabah in 2022, it was RM12.9 billion. In 2024, I increased it to RM16 billion.
“So, people who attack us should remember, it is true that we have not decided on the Sabah’s claim for 40 per cent of the state’s revenue, but this RM16 billion is far more than the promised 40 per cent.
“I have only been Prime Minister leading the new Madani Unity Government for one and a half years, but during this period, I have increased Sabah’s allocation...an additional RM4 billion, the highest in our country,” Anwar said.
He added that it is necessary to explain the matter in certain quarters, including Unity Government MPs, who have been critical as if the Federal government is denying Sabah’s rights and marginalising the state.
Anwar said that claims and criticism can be easily made, but all the allocations or efforts by the Federal government in helping to boost Sabah's development are undeniable.
— Bernama
