Abang Johari: Sarawak’s status as founding partner must be upheld

KUCHING (Sept 16): Sarawak cannot be relegated to anything less than a founding partner of Malaysia, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He firmly stated that Sarawak is not a “passive participant” in the formation of Malaysia, as the state, together with other regions, played a central role in establishing the country as a sovereign nation with its own constitution.

“Sarawak has its own political system and governance, with defined borders and a clear population. Sarawak cannot and should not be diminished or downgraded from its status as a founding partner of Malaysia.

“This is the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which our leaders championed during negotiations with other independence leaders and the British,” he said in his speech read by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at the state-level Malaysia Day 2024 celebration in Sri Aman today.

However, Abang Johari clarified that this stance does not mean that Sarawak is challenging the Federation of Malaysia.

Instead, its demands based on MA63 are efforts to restore and uphold Sarawak’s rights and privileges as outlined in the Federal Constitution and the MA63, he said.

“The federal government must adhere to and respect what is clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and MA63,” he asserted.

Abang Johari informed that last week, he and his cabinet colleagues were in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, to address matters related to MA63 during a special meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He disclosed that a total of 11 issues were resolved, but several others still require further discussion between the Prime Minister, the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, and himself.

“Among the unresolved matters is Sarawak’s right to collect stamp duties or taxes related to property sales, which could amount to hundreds of millions of ringgit annually.

“Nevertheless, I am confident that all issues under MA63 will be resolved as long as the federal government, Sarawak Government, and Sabah Government can sit down together and discuss matters within the framework of the ‘Malaysia Madani’ concept, emphasising mutual respect,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to Anwar for deciding to increase the special annual allocation to Sarawak and Sabah from RM300 million to RM600 million, as provided under the Federal Constitution.

He further noted that there is still much work to be done to elevate Sarawak to a fully developed region on par with more advanced nations.

“The World Bank has recognised Sarawak as a high-income economy, but this does not equate to complete progress if the household income of some segments of our population remains below the national average.

“Therefore, our natural resources must be given added value so that the value chain yields greater returns for Sarawak, providing well-paying job opportunities, especially for our youth,” he said.

The state-level Malaysia Day 2024 celebration was officiated by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi.