Stop pointing fingers at Sabah, Sarawak's development issues - Ongkili

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs), Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, has asked Members of Parliament (MPs) not to point fingers at development issues in Sabah and Sarawak that could threaten the country's peace and stability.

On the other hand, he said that all parties needed to work together so that the relevant agenda to bridge the gap between Sabah and Sarawak, and the states in Peninsular Malaysia could be realised.

Ongkili said that since Sabah and Sarawak formed part of the Federation of Malaysia, the special rights of the two states had always been protected, as provided by the Federal Constitution.

"I would like to emphasise that the federal government is always committed to ensuring that the 1963 Malaysia Agreement is implemented through the establishment of the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963, which is chaired by the Prime Minister himself.

"Obviously, the implementation of the matters discussed under the Special Council needs time to be implemented and therefore requires patience, and handled through a harmonious approach as a Malaysian Family," he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2022 at the policy level in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said that the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 had previously agreed that the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021, which among other things seeks to amend Article 1 (2) and Article 160 (2) of the Federal Constitution on the definition of "the Federation" be brought for the consideration of the Cabinet, and was tabled for first reading in Parliament on Nov 3.

Apart from that, he said that the special council also agreed that the deep-sea fisheries licensing empowerment initiative be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) to the Sabah Fisheries Department, following the Sabah government's requests on fishing, sea fisheries and estuaries.

"This initiative is expected to be fully implemented, at the latest by this December. The Special Council also agreed that this empowerment initiative be extended to the Department of Marine Fisheries Sarawak, at the request of the Sarawak government during the meeting," he said.

-- BERNAMA