Technical committee decisions on MA63 now await highest council endorsement, says DPM Fadillah

KUCHING (March 7): Matters agreed upon at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) Technical Committee meeting, including working papers from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, will be brought to the ‘highest council’ for confirmation and endorsement.

Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said he hopes the meeting with the highest council can be held as soon as possible, targeting May or June.

“I need to bring these matters for confirmation and endorsement by the highest council, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attended by the Chief Minister of Sabah and the Premier of Sarawak. Only then will we announce the details.

“So far, the meeting has only been at the technical level, reporting results from the working committees.

“These have been reviewed and endorsed at the technical level only,” he said after presenting contributions to 60 asnaf (eligible recipients) in Petra Jaya, as well as to two mosques and prayer halls, at Surau Darul Ikhlas, Telekom Malaysia (TM) here.

Also present were TM One Sarawak general manager of state business Abdul Rahman Taha, Network TM Sarawak general manager Ismahalil Aply, and other guests.

The technical meeting on March 2 in Kuala Lumpur also saw the presentation of a working paper from the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department.

Other matters agreed upon involved state administration issues and items that can be devolved to Sarawak and Sabah.

Fadillah added that the MA63 Dashboard, a digital platform to track progress on 29 key demands under MA63, will undergo further refinements.

The Petra Jaya MP also said that the formula for tax revenue distribution involving Sarawak, in relation to the special grant under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, will be further detailed between the Ministry of Finance and the State Finance Office.

“All the matters discussed have no final decisions yet, as they must be brought to the highest council which is the decision-making body,” he said.

Regarding Malaysians in conflict-risk areas in West Asia, he said the federal cabinet has arranged a programme to bring them home and is negotiating with airlines to charter aircraft for their return.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised all our citizens not to travel to the Middle East at this time, even though some airspace remains open, particularly in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

He also reiterated Anwar Ibrahim’s advice for each state to assess basic supply stocks and prepare for the possible continuation of the conflict.

“If the conflict continues, costs will inevitably rise. Logistics will increase, and higher logistics costs will affect the prices of other goods.

“This will have an impact on our country, as many of our goods are imported and their prices will rise,” he said.