ARMIZAN URGES SABAHANS TO UNITE ON MA63 RIGHTS, ADVISES AGAINST POLITICISING

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali urged Sabahans to unite in pursuing the rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and advised against politicising the issue. 

Armizan, who previously served as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) and headed the MA63 Secretariat in the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division, emphasised that Sabahans are only demanding what was rightfully agreed upon.

However, the deputy secretary-general of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) called out certain parties for claiming to be staunch MA63 advocates while failing to align their own actions with their words and dismissing the efforts of others. 

He cited the example of Parti Warisan, which presented itself as heroic when the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled in favour of the Sabah Law Society (SLS) regarding the 40 percent revenue entitlement issue.

"In reality, Warisan did not bring this case to court when they governed Sabah from 2018 to 2020.

"The official position of the state government during the legislative assembly sitting on Aug 7, 2019, was not to pursue legal action against the Federal government, as this was deemed an undesirable approach," he said in a video posted on his Facebook page today.

He said the GRS coalition had not betrayed Sabah's rights, noting that SLS had explicitly acknowledged the state government's consistent efforts to uphold the 40 percent revenue claim.

Armizan urged Sabahans to protect themselves from the inconsistent stance of certain parties and to support GRS, which remains committed to safeguarding the state's interests.

Polling for the 17th Sabah State Election, which is contested across 73 state seats, will take place this Saturday. 

For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, please visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php.

-- BERNAMA