THE unity government is committed to realising matters agreed upon in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to safeguard the well-being of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said.

He said many efforts and matters agreed upon in MA63 had been implemented within one month since the government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took over the administration of the country.

“As an inclusive Malaysia, it is our responsibility to implement MA63 as agreed by our previous leaders… that is the prime minister’s message to me.

“Many things had indeed been discussed, and some had been implemented during the previous administration, but there are many still many left to be done.

“Within one month (of the unity government’s administration), we have agreed to several matters, including the transfer of gas supply (regulatory power) to Sabah and special grants under article 112D of the Federal Constitution. However, there are several issues that we hope will be resolved soon,” he said on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme last night.

Meanwhile, Fadillah said the increase in allocation for Sabah and Sarawak in Budget 2023 compared to last year proved the government’s commitment and determination to improve the welfare of the people and development in the two states.

He added that although some quarters compared the allocations received by the two states, there was an increase in the sum, adding that the government’s focus was on infrastructure development in the East Malaysia states.

“Our priority is to speed up the development of social amenities, water supply and other basic facilities.

“The important thing is that there is commitment and an increase in allocation. The focus is now on its implementation. If it is good, then (the benefits) will be felt by the people and the development gap can be bridged,” he said.

In Budget 2023, RM6.5 billion has been allocated for Sabah compared to RM5.16 billion in 2022, while Sarawak is to receive RM5.6 billion compared to RM4.67 billion in the year before. – Bernama, February 28, 2023.