ALL states in Malaysia enjoy the same status under federalism, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

Pandikar said it is his responsibility to voice out the issue to youth in Sabah and Sarawak.

“If you understand the concept of federalism… (it) means all the states must be of equal status.

“How can you say Sabah and Sarawak have equal status with Malaya when, in fact, after Malaysia was created in September 1963, Malaya ceased to exist,” said Pandikar at the launch of his book, Berpisah Tiada, by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the Parliament lobby today.

Pandikar said he had studied the documents from Tunku Abdul Rahman’s speech in Singapore on May 22, 1962 and it did not state that Sabah and Sarawak have equal status as Malaya.

“Therefore, I feel that this part of my responsibility to explain to the younger generation, those generation that did not have the opportunity of knowing the real story.”

Pandikar had previously rubbished claims that Sabah and Sarawak were two separate nations prior to the formation of Malaysia with the federated states of Malaya in 1963. 

He said the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), as signed by representatives from Sabah and Sarawak, identified the two as British colonies. – November 27, 2017.