KUCHING: Sarawak’s territorial boundary, as defined in the 1954 Order in Council, remains legally binding and cannot be overridden by any federal law or opinion.
Batu Kitang assemblyman Datuk Lo Khere Chiang stressed that the 1954 Sarawak (Alteration of Boundaries) Order in Council, which extended Sarawak’s boundary to include the continental shelf up to 200 nautical miles offshore, has never been repealed.
Under Article 1(3) of the Federal Constitution, he said no state boundary can be changed without the consent of the State Legislative Assembly which Sarawak has never granted.
“This makes the Territorial Sea Act 2012 inapplicable to Sarawak. Our sovereign rights over our continental shelf remain intact,” Lo said in his recent statement.
He said the state’s position has been clearly and consistently upheld by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
Lo added that the constitutional amendments passed in February 2022 specifically Articles 1(2), 160(2), 161A(6) and 161A(7) — which restored Sarawak’s rightful status in the federation and elevated the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to constitutional force.
“These changes were championed by our Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar when he served as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament).
“MA63 is no longer just a historical document it is now enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” he said.
Touching on recent remarks by former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli who said Sarawak “deserves more” but cautioned against “burdening investors” and “threatening Petronas”, Lo expressed disappointment over what he described as a patronising and hypocritical tone.
“Sarawak is not asking for charity. We are claiming what is legally ours. If that burdens Petronas, then it is Petronas that needs to adjust, not Sarawak,” he said.
He added that billions have been extracted from Sarawak over the decades, while the state continues to face underdevelopment in rural areas.
“National stability cannot be achieved by continuing to ignore constitutional rights or historical agreements.
“Respect for MA63 and Sarawak’s sovereign boundary is not optional, it is required under the law,” he said.
