PARTI Solidariti Tanah Airku president Jeffrey Kitingan today called on all signatories to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to return to the table to resolve outstanding issues.

He said a new inter-governmental commitee must be formed, including not just Malaysian state representatives, but representatives from the United Kingdom and Singapore as well. 

“All signatories or parties should review and revisit the terms of the agreement, and discuss the validity of the MA63 and the effects of Singapore leaving the federation in 1965,” he said in a statement today. 

Jeffrey said this was necessary as much confusion had surfaced during the formation of steering, technical and working committees to review the agreement and resolve issues concerning Sabah and Sarawak’s status with Peninsular Malaysia. 

He said the federal government must also resolve constitutional issues related to Sabah and Sarawak rights. 

“The role of the cabinet steering committee is to implement and formulate policies on how this can be done.

“The MA63 and constitutional rights of Sabah and Sarawak are two separate and distinct problems to be dealt with by the appropriate right parties and should not be mixed up,” he said. 

Jeffrey said the federal government should focus on unresolved constitutional issues such as Article 8.

Article 8 states that “the Governments of the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak will take such legislative, executive or other action as may be required to implement the assurances, undertakings and recommendations contained in Chapter 3 of, and Annexes A and B to, the Report of the Inter-Governmental Committee signed on 27 February, 1963, in so far as they are not implemented by express provision of the Constitution of Malaysia”. – October 14, 2018.