KUCHING: Sarawak is asserting its constitutional rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to reclaim greater control over its education policies, particularly in areas such as curriculum design and language use, in line with provisions outlined in the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report.
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said MA63 and the IGC Report, now formally recognised under the Federal Constitution, form the legal foundation for Sarawak’s demands in the education sector.
“MA63 is now part of the Constitution. It is based on the IGC report, which is now legally recognised as law,” he said during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between iCATS, industries and TVET institutions today (May 7).
He explained that education matters fall under the Ninth Schedule, Item 13(a) of the Federal Constitution, and that constitutional amendments in 2022 have formally recognised MA63 under Article 160(2).
“Therefore, MA63 and the IGC report are no longer just documents. They are part of our Constitution,” he emphasised.
Dr Annuar highlighted Paragraph 17 of the IGC Report, which outlines seven key provisions on education, including the continued use of English and the preservation of Sarawak’s existing education system.
“It is a strong document emphasising autonomy. It says that English must be maintained and that the current education system must not be disturbed,” he said.
As part of these efforts, Sarawak has submitted 15 points related to education autonomy to the federal government, and discussions are ongoing.
“One key issue is the use of English, along with devolving certain powers to our state director for approving education projects,” he said.
He noted that while the state education director remains a federal officer, consultation with the state government is now required, as stipulated in the IGC provisions.
“Although past administrations may not have followed this approach, cooperation between the federal and state education departments has greatly improved under the current government,” he said.
While acknowledging that full autonomy is a complex and long term objective, he reaffirmed Sarawak’s commitment to ensuring critical areas such as curriculum, language policy and educational standards remain under state oversight.
“Achieving full autonomy is not easy, but we are committed to maintaining control over key aspects like the syllabus and the use of English,” he said.
