BAU: Greater understanding of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is essential to ensure Sarawak’s history, constitutional rights and role in Malaysia are understood accurately, said Datuk Henry Harry Jinep.
The Deputy Minister for Transport (Rivers and Marine) and Tasik Biru assemblyman said seminars on MA63 provide an important platform for all Sarawakians, including teachers and Form Six students, to deepen their understanding of Malaysia’s formation and Sarawak’s rights.
He said such programmes should go beyond introducing the historical background of Malaysia by also promoting awareness of the relationship between the federal and state governments, while fostering critical thinking, patriotism and unity among the younger generation.
“MA63 seminars are not merely about introducing the history of the formation of Malaysia.
“More importantly, they can serve as a platform to enhance understanding of the formation of Malaysia, the rights of Sarawak and Sabah, and the relationship between the federal and state governments,” he said at the closing of the Seminar on MA63 at the Bidayuh Cultural Centre Bau here today.
Henry noted that teachers had an important role as educators and mentors in strengthening students’ understanding of history, the Federal Constitution and MA63.
He said teachers could also guide students to evaluate issues based on facts, official documents and evidence instead of relying on perceptions or unverified information.
“This is particularly important as discussions on MA63 are becoming increasingly widespread on social media, podcasts and various digital platforms,” he said.
Henry said the growing interest in MA63 was a positive development as more people were seeking to understand the history behind the formation of Malaysia.
However, he cautioned that historical and constitutional information could sometimes be interpreted or presented inaccurately.
“When something inaccurate is shared with a large audience, it can eventually be accepted as fact,” he said.
For Form Six students, Henry said the seminar offered an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of Malaysia’s formation and appreciate Sarawak’s important role in the establishment of the federation.
He said such knowledge would also benefit students in their History and General Studies subjects at STPM level, particularly when dealing with current issues.
More importantly, he hoped the exposure would help shape students’ identity, strengthen civic awareness, and foster unity and patriotism.
Henry stressed that accurate knowledge was fundamental to safeguarding Sarawak’s historical narrative and understanding its rights under MA63.
“If we want to defend our history, we ourselves must know that history accurately. In the context of MA63, facts, terminology and historical context are extremely important,” he said.
About 1,000 people attended the half-day seminar, the first in Bau so far.
Deputy State Attorney-General, Datuk John Wayne Chamberlain, and State Senior Counsel from the Sarawak Attorney-General’s Chambers, Mohd Adzrul Adzlan, were present to share their valuable knowledge and highly meaningful explanations to questions from the floor during the seminar.
Bau District Officer, Eddy Nayoi, was also present.
