Search This Blog

Friday, May 6, 2016

Sarawak to seek restoration of region status

KUCHING - Sarawak will seek greater autonomy from the Federal Government especially on the restoration of the state’s status as one of the three regions in the federation of Malaysia namely Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah based on the Malaysia Agreement, 1963.

As such, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem appealed to the voters in Sarawak to give him the five-year mandate in tomorrow’s polls so that he could continue the negotiation with the Federal leaders under the second phase of negotiation.

He explained that the Malaysia Agreement was indeed an international agreement entered into by sovereign states of the United Kingdom, North Borneo (Sabah), Singapore, Malaya and Sarawak.

But now that Singapore had left the Federation in 1965, the rest of the partners, namely Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah would have to discuss the matter further.

“And if you want to change the agreement, you need the consent of all the parties. Now you cannot simply change it through changing the constitution as it is above the constitution.

So you cannot revoke the Malaysia Agreement. You cannot do that.

“In fact, one example was when they wanted to change the date from August 31 to September 16.

All the partners have to agree, then they can change it.

“Therefore, it means that Sarawak was a sovereign state when it entered into the memorandum.

That’s why we object to Sarawak being called one of the states in Malaysia or the 13th or the 14th state or something like that,” Adenan told a press conference at the old DUN complex here yesterday.

He reiterated that he was glad that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had told him that the issue would be further discussed during the second phase of negotiation.

“I think he (the prime minister) did mention that it would be further discussed as it would involve the Federal Legislation which impinges on the State’s right,” he emphasised.

On his tagline on billboards being erected at strategic areas across the state – “You Ain Seen Nothing’ Yet”– he explained that the American expression meant that he wanted to do more in the next five years.

On another issue, Adenan, who is also the president of PBB, refused to comment on the subject of his successor as he wanted to concentrate on winning the state election.

“I think it’s a bit too early to speak about the end when you are just in the beginning…. I am still alive you know,” he said in jest.

He said the party’s caucus, which consisted of elected representatives and senators, is still relevant as it could be used to choose the next leader of the state’s BN backbone party. - BP

No comments:

Post a Comment