Minister: 13 of 29 MA63 matters fully resolved, five partially settled

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — A total of 13 out of 29 matters discussed under the official negotiation platform of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) have been fully resolved so far.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said another five issues have achieved partial or interim resolution, following decisions made during the MA63 Technical Committee meeting on March 2.

He said four of these interim matters involve the expansion of state public service positions under Article 112 of the Federal Constitution, alongside issues surrounding health, education, and the Borneonisation of the Federal public service in Sabah and Sarawak.

“The remaining 11 outstanding matters are being closely monitored by the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division (BHESS), acting as the secretariat, alongside all stakeholders at both the Federal and state government levels,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (Warisan-Kota Belud) who inquired about the latest status of MA63 implementations and the demand to increase parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak to achieve a 35 per cent quota.

Addressing the parliamentary seats issue, Mustapha explained that the claim remains unresolved and is still under discussion, as any electoral redelineation exercise can only be carried out by the Election Commission (EC) after the expiration of an eight-year cycle.

“The matter falls under the purview of the EC pursuant to the 13th Schedule and Article 113 of the Federal Constitution. Furthermore, it requires constitutional amendments to the composition of the Dewan Rakyat under Article 46, which demands a two-thirds majority endorsement from the house,” he added. — Bernama