Sabah polls outcome a wake-up call to honour MA63, says activist

KUCHING (Dec 1): The outcome of the Sabah elections should serve as a wake up call for the federal government to take its promises to honour the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) seriously, said social activist Voon Shiak Ni.

She noted that some federal leaders had downplayed local sentiments during the recent election campaign on ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ and even “insulted the existence of MA63”.

“The federal government needs to be reminded that MA63 is not a favour from Putrajaya. MA63 is a binding constitutional covenant that forms the very foundation on which Sabah and Sarawak agreed to form Malaysia.

“MA63, together with the Federal Constitution, guarantees the Borneo states’ autonomy in key areas such as immigration, religion, education, health, natural resources, taxation and local governance.

“These safeguards were not negotiable concessions; they were conditions of merger and remain entrenched in constitutional law,” she said in a statement.

For decades, Voon said many of these rights had been diluted, delayed or ignored.

She stressed that this was not only a political failure but also a breach of constitutional duty.

Voon stressed that the people of Sabah and Sarawak, as equal partners to the federation, have the legal right to demand the full and immediate restoration of all MA63 obligations.

“The federal government must stop treating MA63 as a political bargaining chip and start treating it as the binding legal instrument that it is.

“Respecting MA63 is not optional, not subject to changing administrations, and not something to be ‘considered’. It is a constitutional obligation enforced by the rule of law,” she emphasised.

She added that the people of Sabah and Sarawak are simply demanding the return of what was promised, codified and constitutionally protected.

“They are insisting that the federal government restore the full autonomy and entitlements that were guaranteed in MA63,” she said.

Voon stressed that fulfilling MA63 is not just about fairness, but also about legal integrity, historical justice and honouring the original terms of the federation.

“If Malaysia is to move forward as a truly equal union, then the federal government must demonstrate immediate and genuine commitment to restoring every right due to the Borneo territories.

“Sarawak is demanding the same from the federal government on MA63, and the most serious issue in Sarawak now is the serious shortage of doctors and public hospital facilities.

“As a Sarawakian, I hereby demand that the federal government address this issue immediately,” she added.