BINTULU: Sarawak has become the first state in the country to provide funding to the federal government for an asset takeover, paying RM1.8 billion to acquire the Bintulu Port, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said that in the more than three and a half years since he has led the government, he had never seen a state government pay such a large sum to the federal government for such a purpose.
“Today is historic. Today I receive funds. This shows the performance and management capability of the Sarawak Government, as well as its position as one of the country’s new industrial powers,” he said.
He said this during the cheque handover ceremony, marking the transfer of Bintulu Port from federal to state ownership, held at Menara Kidurong, Bintulu Port Authority here today.
Anwar said the transaction also reflects the level of trust and growing cooperation between the federal government and the Sarawak Government in implementing matters agreed under the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said the takeover of Bintulu Port was among the matters given attention soon after he took over the country’s administration in November 2022, to strengthen relations between the federal government and Sarawak.
“The federal and state governments have agreed to resolve MA63-related issues according to priorities through negotiations and a spirit of mutual trust.
“We choose to build trust, strong bonds and good working relations between the federation and the states. We implement what has been enshrined in the Constitution and MA63,” he added.
At the same time, he said relations between Putrajaya and Sarawak have always been based on negotiations and understanding to ensure the interests of the people of the state are safeguarded.
“Throughout my time as Prime Minister, I have never received any threats from Sarawak. There are views, criticisms and sometimes firm discussions, but that is normal in a democratic country.
“What exists are negotiations and views representing the interests of the people of Sarawak and fulfilling what was agreed in the formation of Malaysia. I clarify this to avoid misunderstandings, especially as we approach the state election,” he stressed.
Anwar said Sarawak’s success today should be a source of pride for all Malaysians, as the state is now emerging as one of the region’s important industrial growth centres.
He said this situation is very different compared to when the port agreement was first made decades ago, when Sarawak was still in its early stages of development.
“Now Sarawak is no longer just emerging in some industrial sectors, but is becoming a new industrial giant. We should be proud of Sarawak’s progress, success, capability and potential in building industrial strength in the region,” he said.
