PUTRAJAYA has, with the exception of security matters, totally surrendered the administration of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Sabah, said Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Minister Maximus Ongkili today.

Ongkili said the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963, which met yesterday in Putrajaya, had also agreed that the federal government will hand over Sarawak full control and management of gas distribution in the state. 

It was chaired by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and attended by the Chief Ministers of Sarawak, Abang Johari Openg, and Sabah Hajiji Noor. 

Ligitan and Sipadan are two very small islands located in the Celebes Sea, off the north-east coast of Sabah. 

In 2019, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government had “in principle agreed” to return the management of two islands to Sabah. 

It was among eight items that have been decided on by the then special cabinet committee to review the implementation of the MA63.

However, the sincerity of the return had been questioned by Sabahans when the National Security Division (NSD) – a federal authority – had insisted on collecting a RM40 diver’s levy as a cost for protecting the islands. 

Sabah said it should be collecting the fee since the islands are its marine parks. 

Ongkilili, in a statement today, described the formal surrender of the islands and Petronas giving up the natural gas management and distribution as “historic”. 

He said full authority and control over the administration of both islands will be under the purview of the Sabah government. 

“The prime minister said Sabah has sovereignty rights on the two islands,” he added.

The islands will now come under the supervision of the Sabah Parks, and placed in protection under the state’s Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959. 

Ongkili said the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division and the National Security Council are working out the full handover arrangements. 

The meeting also studied the findings of Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin, who heads the security working committee under the MKMA63, as well as that of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Mustapa Mohamed, who heads the socio-economy committee and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Takiyuddin Hassan, who heads the equal partner committee. 

Ongkilili said Takiyuddin tabled two papers – one on the proposed constitutional amendments to Articles 1(2) and 160(2) on the definition of the federation. 

The second is on “judiciary issues in the high court of Sabah and Sarawak”.

Sarawak had, during Muhyiddin’s working visit to Sarawak two weeks ago, pressed for an amendment to Article 160(2). 

Ongkili said the Attorney-General Idrus Harun will now meet with the Sabah and Sarawak attorney-generals to sort out the legal issues. – April 14, 2021.