KUALA LUMPUR: A majority of demands concerning education and health in Sabah and Sarawak were agreed upon during the Technical Committee meeting of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) yesterday (Aug 18).
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the meeting served as preparation for the upcoming MTPMA63 No 1/2025, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Kuching on Sept 12.
Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, chaired the meeting and noted that several key agreements were reached in education.
These included state government involvement in planning education development projects, information-sharing on the transfer of senior officers, and the provision of allocations for professional development programmes.
“On health, most of Sabah and Sarawak’s demands were also agreed to, such as increased allocations for operating and development expenditure, granting certain autonomous powers to State Health directors, and strengthening human resources in the Sabah and Sarawak Health Departments,” he said in a statement.
He added that other outstanding matters would continue to be discussed through the Joint Action Committee on Education and Health Development for Sabah and Sarawak under the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.
The meeting also considered two briefing papers presented by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, which will be tabled at MTPMA63 No 1/2025 for decision.
“Other unresolved demands will continue to be monitored by the Technical Committee under MTPMA63 and the relevant ministry-level working committees,” Fadillah said.
The meeting was attended by federal, Sabah, and Sarawak representatives including several ministers, deputy ministers, and senior officials.
