SARAWAK Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah Embas today named Water, Land and Mineral Resources Minister Xavier Jayakumar as the federal minister who had suggested that Sarawak give up its autonomous rights over land matters in the state.

Accepting Sarawak PKR and social media practitioners’ challenge to name the federal minister concerned and prove he was not “creating something out of nothing”, Uggah in a statement said Jayakumar made the suggestion in his address at the National Land Council meeting in Putrajaya last week.

He said the reason he gave to justify Sarawak giving up the right enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) was that “it was unfair for the country to have three laws governing its land administration”.

Uggah was referring to the National Land Code of Malaya, Sabah Land Code, and the Sarawak Land Code.

Uggah said he immediately interrupted Jayakumar from speaking further and asked him to withdraw his statement.

“By his own words, it seems Xavier is insinuating that the country should have just one land code covering all.

“If there was no such intention (to further erode Sarawak’s autonomy), why did he bring it up in his remark in the first place?” Uggah said.

“That was why I immediately interrupted his speech. Although it was rather rude of me to do so, I had to stand up for Sarawak,” he said in the statement.

The deputy chief minister said there was a new attempt by Putrajaya to erode the state’s autonomous rights during a meet-the-people session at the Rumah Entiggan in the rural farming town of Spaoh, about 210km from Kuching, yesterday.

Sarawak PKR, fearing the potential damage such an attempt might have on Pakatan Harapan’s chances in the coming Sarawak state election, last night gave Uggah three days to name the federal minister.

They also said the state government should call for an emergency sitting of the state assembly to condemn the minister and the attempt to further erode the state’s autonomy.

“Telling off that minister is not sufficient rebuke for a matter so serious, and a deputy chief minister should be capable of taking more drastic action than a mere light slap on the wrist,” PKR Sarawak vice chairman Boniface Willy Tumek said.

Uggah said Jayakumar’s suggestion that Sarawak drop its autonomy and adopt the National Land Code was “not only preposterous but also chose to ignore the peculiarities and complexities surrounding land issues in the state”.

Sarawak PKR however, saw more to it.

Tumek said a minister should have been very aware of the prevailing Sarawakian sentiment concerning the MA63, the ongoing demands for return of eroded rights, and autonomy.

According to MA63, land is a state matter as it was agreed that the provisions of the powers of Malaya’s National Land Council do not apply in Sarawak and Sabah.

Non-compliance of the MA63, the gradual erosion of state rights in 55 years of the federation, and unequal share of resources are now sore points for Sarawak and Sabah.

Tumek said “anything that suggests that their rights would be further eroded, even if just remotely, would have the most profound ramifications in the coming state election”.

He also said PKR Sarawak found it “extremely offensive and hard to believe that a full minister in the PH government had the temerity to suggest something as audacious as replacing the Sarawak Land Code, a symbol of the autonomy of Sarawak as spelt out in MA63, with another law that symbolises colonialism”.

“Land matters, even before the formation of Malaysia, were for the government of Sarawak to administer, and to replace the Sarawak Land Code with the National Land Code is unthinkable.

“Land matters fall squarely within the state list under the federal constitution. Sarawak has 100% control and legal jurisdiction over its lands and the federal government cannot impose any laws over state lands.”

Last November, Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said that he had turned down a federal government request that the state give up its autonomy over immigration.

He said the request was put forward by a deputy minister, who had paid him a courtesy call in Kuching.

Abang Johari did not disclose the deputy minister’s name, or say when the visit took place, but said he told the deputy minister that Sarawak will continue to defend its rights.

The chief minister said the deputy minister said it was time for Sarawak to cease having control over immigration.

“I said no,” Abang Johari told reporters after chairing his party’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu supreme council meeting.

Sarawak’s autonomy over immigration is provided for in the federal constitution, Immigration Act 1959/63 and Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Abang Johari said he believed the request was made due to the state’s move to ban the entry of a certain leader after he landed in Sibu. – December 10, 2018.