THE process of handing over the federal government’s reserve land in Sabah and Sarawak to the two states is now being finalised, said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Armizan Mohd Ali. 

He said the process was in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 

The federal reserve land in both states had been undeveloped for a long time. Under certain guidelines, the state governments could take over the lands.  

“It has been discussed by the MA63 Implementation Action Council, and the office of the director-general of Lands and Mines will finalise the guidelines,” he told reporters today. 

Armizan said that after the handover, the two states would become the absolute owners of the lands. 

“There is a positive development in efforts to restore the privileges of Sabah and Sarawak, as enshrined in MA63, through a platform created by the government, and no longer only through a political platform,” he said. 

“We are grateful that a special platform was officially created – the Devolution of Authority Committee – in 2016 to discuss issues related to MA63. 

“Then it was added to the special cabinet committee in 2018, appointed as the Special Council on MA63 in 2020, and further empowered in 2022 under the unity government as the MA63 Implementation Action Council, and this allows for the record of official discussions that can be used as a reference for the next course of action,” he said. 

Armizan said the decision of the federal government and the Ministry of Finance to relinquish the authority to approve development projects worth up to RM50 million to the Sabah and Sarawak governments was in line with the MA63 agreement. – Bernama, May 6, 2023.