A SARAWAK rep has accused Umno of using Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia to “thwart and frustrate” Sabah and Sarawak’s efforts to demand the return of lost rights and full compliance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

PKR’s Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How said Pandikar’s book, Berpisah Tiada (Inseparable), launched by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Monday, was a glaring example.

He said the book was a “calculated move by the Umno-led federal government to thwart and frustrate the united efforts of Sabah and Sarawak to reclaim their common rights and destiny”.

He said Pandikar was the perfect pick due to his position as Dewan Rakyat speaker.

“He is also a Sabahan and has nothing to lose politically, as he does not have to face anyone in Sabah to seek re-election.

“This makes him the ideal person to derail the drive, particularly by Sarawak, for full compliance with the agreement that formed the basis of the Federation of Malaysia.”

See said the fact that Pandikar did not need Sabahans’ mandate to continue in his role as speaker made the arguments in his book “weak and trivial”.

“However, as the speaker, his views and opinions must not be taken lightly. It’s easy to brush him off as being misconceived, misinformed. But, he is actually dangerous.

“That’s why I am warning that he should be taken seriously,” said the Sarawak PKR vice-president.

He said Pandikar, as well as pro-Umno politicians in Sabah and Sarawak, were “a clear reflection of the lackadaisical attitude of our Barisan Nasional elected representatives when it comes to defending and championing Sarawak and Sabah’s rights in Parliament”.

“Their perceptions of our rights under MA63 are misguided and dictated by Umno and Putrajaya.”

Zahid said Pandikar’s book would “correct wrong and negative perceptions” due to “studies conducted by previous analysts on the rights of Sabah and Sarawak, which had elements of bias and prejudice”.

DAP had said Pandikar, in the book, rubbished claims that Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia were meant to be equal territories when the federation was formed.

PKR’s Pakatan Harapan ally said Pandikar further claimed that the rights of the two Borneo states were never eroded in the first place, even with the constitutional amendments in 1976 to downgrade them as the 12th and 13th states, respectively.

See calls on Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg to take the initiative to convene a Sarawak-Sabah Rights Conference “to devise and put together a united front in the pursuit of our common rights under MA63”.

He said there was a need for Sabah and Sarawak MPs to be “one united force and voice”.

He said even though Abang Johari had taken the right step to further the legacy of his predecessor, Adenan Satem, who died in office in February, in retrieving the documents related to the formation of Malaysia, including those culminating in MA63, “the state government should now take steps to further the cause and aspirations of all Sarawakians”.

“For the next five years, one of the most crucial roles of Parliament is to debate the autonomous rights of Sarawak and Sabah, as enshrined in MA63.”

See said the rights conference would ensure that all 56 Sabah and Sarawak MPs were fully informed about the intent and purpose of all the documents and agreements leading to Malaysia’s formation. – November 30, 2017.