MA63 CLAIMS MUST BE SETTLED THROUGH TALKS, NOT CONFRONTATION, SAYS PM

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today stressed that claims under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) must be resolved through rational discussions and negotiations, and not through confrontation or hostility.

He said the MADANI Government is committed to resolving the claims comprehensively, including through discussions and negotiations under the Technical Committee of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

“This is being discussed now. Datuk Seri Fadillah chairs the technical committee; we have meetings to discuss. If we agree, we implement it; if not, we discuss again and vote again. This is how we cooperate, not by ‘going to war’," he said at the ‘Rancakkan MADANI’ programme here today.

Also present were Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, along with more than 2,000 participants, including university students and members of the local community.

On the claim for a 40 per cent revenue return for Sabah, the prime minister urged all parties to first study and understand the matter.

“I visited the Jalan Gaya (Sunday market) earlier, and people were shouting about Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue. Listen and understand first. Yes, it is (included) in MA63, but over the past three years (since the MADANI Government took office), we have been discussing it,” he said.

On Oct 23, Fadillah stated that 13 of the 29 MA63 claims discussed under the agreement had been classified as resolved.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the federal government spends RM17 billion annually on Sabah, including allocations for education, health, security, and infrastructure development for the people, such as schools and health clinics.

He said the amount provided to Sabah is far higher than the state’s own revenue collection, which amounts to around RM10 billion a year.

“We take the RM10 billion revenue, and we give back RM17 billion. Why? Because there is cooperation between the Federal and state governments. We use the revenue to develop all states in Malaysia. Sabah is slightly behind, so we provide more assistance.

“We still provide support to Kelantan and Perlis, even though they are opposition-led states. To solve the annual flood problems, we spend billions of ringgit. This is our responsibility, to take care of Malaysia. Children in Sabah, Kelantan, Perlis are all Malaysian children. We want everyone to live well and happily,” he said.

Anwar said that in the effort to develop the country, Malaysia needs strong leadership capable of uniting people of various ethnicities to further strengthen national unity.

He said the true greatness of a leader does not lie in the ability to fight, but in the willingness to cooperate and foster unity among Malaysians from diverse backgrounds.

“If a leader is great among the Murut, Kadazan or Dayak, or Bugis or Suluk, their greatness lies in their willingness to cooperate and strengthen unity among us,” he said.

The prime minister also reaffirmed the MADANI government’s commitment to continue working hard for the people’s interests, even though he is no longer as young as before.

-- BERNAMA