KOTA KINABALU: UMNO Supreme Council member, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan expressed disappointment over unfounded accusations directed at Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah regarding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He stated that some parties are trying to portray BN Sabah as if they have never fought for the state’s rights under MA63, while records clearly show that BN has been one of the most consistent advocates for it over the years.
“BN Sabah has faced various accusations suggesting they have never championed MA63. When Datuk Seri Najib Razak was Prime Minister, he announced that the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under MA63 that had been taken would be returned.
“The committee was co-chaired by Tan Sri Anifah Aman, representing Sabah, and Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, representing Sarawak. There were no members from Peninsular Malaysia, and all were ministers, Members of Parliament, or representatives from Sabah and Sarawak, with seven from Sarawak and six from Sabah.
“As far as I know, they utilized the research and reports produced by this committee, established under Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in which I was also involved. Therefore, it is unfair to claim that BN has not made efforts to reclaim Sabah’s rights under the MA63 framework that BN has pursued,” he said.
However, he noted that when BN lost the election in 2018, within six to seven months of the Warisan government ruling, they announced that several issues had been resolved.
“The question is how can problems that have existed for decades be resolved in just six months?”
Abdul Rahman, who is also the Deputy Chief of UMNO Sabah, urged the Federal Government not to appeal the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision that confirmed Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 percent of the net revenue obtained from the state.
“First off, I want to congratulate the Sabah Law Society (SLS) for successfully obtaining a judicial review, which led to the court’s decision that the 40 percent entitlement truly belongs to the State of Sabah and must be paid by the Federal Government.
“I see this as a huge win for Sabah, but this decision needs to be upheld and not appealed, as it’s high time we address the 40 percent issue that is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. We need to put an end to this narrative once and for all.
“If we don’t, it will drag on and damage the good relationship between the people of Sabah and the Federal Government, because this matter is in the Constitution, and thus it is a valid perception. After we discuss the mechanism for how the Federal Government should pay based on its financial capacity,” he added.
He emphasized that it is crucial for the central government to recognize through this court ruling that the 40 percent is indeed the right of the State of Sabah.
“We are putting a stop to this matter,” he reiterated.
Source – UMNO Online
