KOTA KINABALU, April 13, 2018: Barisan Nasional’s pledge of restoring the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) “by consensus” will likely end up being snared in bureaucracy.
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) deputy president Melanie Chia said BN’s promise on MA63 would suffer the same fate as the outcome of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the state’s illegal immigrant problem.
“After nearly seven years that include hearings, the compilation of report, the disappointing outcome of the entire exercise is the setting up of two committees,” said Melanie, the state ex-assistant finance minister.
She said BN’s promise of restoring the rights of both States “by consensus” as stated in its election manifesto would similarly be bogged down in bureaucracy.
“It is obvious BN, especially the coalition’s leaders, are resorting to trickery when it comes to restoring the rights of Sabah and Sarawak by insisting on the phrase by consensus in their manifesto,” Melanie said on Friday.
“Why is there a need for this phrase when it does not involve a new agreement? MA63 was achieved by consensus more than 55 years ago,” she said.
“To say that the restoration of what is rightfully ours would only be done by consensus is nothing more that providing themselves a veto power to stop it whenever they felt threatened,” Melanie added.
Melanie said this when commenting on caretaker Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman’s statement that the restoration of Sabah and Sarawak’s rights required the consensus of the federal government.
SAPP secretary general Datuk Richard Yong said on Thursday that BN leaders had revealed their true thoughts about the restoration of Sabah and Sarawak’s rights by using the phrase “by consensus.”
He said BN leaders had no real intention allowing Sabah and Sarawak to regain their rights as provided for in MA63.
Yong said this was part of their Ketuanan Malaya mentality and wanted to continue to look down on both East Malaysian states.