‘GRS decision to reject proposed special sitting on MA63 shocking’

KOTA KINABALU: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government’s decision to reject the proposal to hold a special sitting at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) to debate on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) issue, was deeply shocking, said United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) Youth chief Felix Joseph Saang.

He said the proposal should have been supported by all of Sabah’s elected representatives, both from the government and opposition.

Although the issue is currently debated in Parliament, Felix said the special sitting should still take place so that the DUN could listen and study the suggestions, views and needs of the people of Sabah, through the state elected representatives.

“The people of Sabah can see that the Sarawak government is more forward-looking, courageous, and open in pursuing the MA63 rights.

“It is very shocking and sad when the GRS government decided that there is no need to hold a special DUN sitting to discuss the MA63 rights,” said Felix in a statement here yesterday.

“Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan once told Parliament that the issue of MA63 should be debated in the Sabah DUN sitting.

“Why did he keep silent when the Chief Minister (Datuk Hajiji Haji Noor) announced that there was no need to do so?” he asked.

Felix was commenting on Hajiji’s speech in the recent sitting where the latter had said that there is no need to hold the sitting as the MA63 issue and the Bill (RUU) to amend the Federal Constitution, had been tabled in Parliament and would soon be debated.

Hajiji said this in his response to Datuk Ewon Benedick (Upko-Kadamaian) and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s (Warisan-Senallang) questions on the proposal, during the DUN’s winding-up session on Wednesday.

Felix said Sabahans believe that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili had failed to deliver his promise to resolve the MA63 issue within six months. Therefore, Felix stressed that the State Government should support the proposal.

“How to resolve MA63 if there is no openness and determination from the State Government to discuss this matter?

“We are not surprised if the leaders of Umno and Bersatu Sabah remain silent on this matter since they have to abide by their central leadership in Malaya,” he said.

Felix added that the MA63 issue is important, critical and one of the main struggles and dreams of the people of Sabah, for so long.

“We know the MA63 issue is being debated in Parliament, but why did GRS avoid discussing this issue in the DUN?””