Sabah, S'wak leaders urged to stay united on MA63
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Youth Council (MBS) has urged leaders of Sabah and Sarawak to stick together in the struggle over the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) apart from ensuring their stand was in the interest of the people and not solely for their respective political survival.
MBS deputy president, Abqaree Fawwaz Abekan said the failure to obtain the required support in Parliament to pass the Amendment on Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution Bill recently was very disappointing even though Sabah and Sarawak leaders still have the space to focus on restoring both states as equal partners with the Peninsula as contained in MA63.
“Elected representatives of Sabah and Sarawak should be firm in their stand to fight for the rights of the two states regardless of their political stand and block as each decision made would influence the future of the two states and those affected by the decision would the future generations,” he told Bernama here.
The bill saw only 138 members of Parliament supporting which was short of the 148 votes required to amend the constitution while 59 members including those Gabungan Parti Sarawak abstained.
Meanwhile, Tawau Youth Coalition chairman Andy Mohd Suryadi Bandi when contacted by Bernama hoped the rejection of the bill would not despair the spirit of the state government to fight for the rights of Sabahans after this.
Andy said the issue of MA63 is very close to the heart of the people in Sabah and Sarawak, so the younger generations in Sabah hoped there would be a positive development on the matter and hoped the government would find the middle ground to fulfill the dreams of youths in both states.
Kunak Community Development leader, Bahri Lakile, told Bernama, the action of MPs who did not vote was a big loss and disappointing to the people and these MPs should look at the amendment in a wider context as the government today would follow up on implementing the elements of MA63.
"The move by MPs in taking a neutral stand and did not vote was unreasonable and their approach is outdated and they had betrayed the trust and desire of the people," he said.