MA63 task force report completed, says minister

The special task force on the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 completed its final report on Aug 31, according to de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong.

"The final report will be tabled in a special cabinet committee meeting, expected to be held in one month from today," he said in a statement.

In the meantime, Liew said, the report has been forwarded to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal, Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Abang Openg, as well as other task force members for a final review.

Last July, the cabinet agreed to the formation of the special cabinet committee on MA63, in line with Promise 40 in Pakatan Harapan's election manifesto.

At the time, Liew said the committee would study and propose corrective measures in relation to the following:

• The status of MA63 in the context of current legislation;
• Efforts to improve the people's understanding of MA63 through the education system;
• Implementation of the concept of federalism across the three territories of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak;
• The rights of Sabah and Sarawak to natural resources as well as oil and gas;
• Administrative matters that can be delegated to the states;
• The amount of allocation that is within the rights of Sabah and Sarawak; and
• Amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution.

Subsequently, the special cabinet committee's first meeting on Dec 17 last year agreed to look into 21 specific issues – 13 joint demands by both the Sarawak and Sabah governments, and eight specifically for the latter.