KUCHING: Nobody can say that Sarawak’s laws are inferior or that the state does not have the right to implement its own laws.
In stating this Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazal said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg always emphasises that there are four matters that Sarawak will never open for negotiation.
“Number one is, of course, our immigration rights. Number two is our rights over the continental shelf, our boundaries, and our sea boundary—extending up to the continental shelf. It is not just two or three nautical miles.
“This is non-negotiable because this falls under our land laws. Land is under the state list, so these are matters that cannot be negotiated. The third is our rights over our natural resources found within that continental shelf. These are also non-negotiable,” she said in a special interview with The Sarawak Initiatives’ Prof. James Chin recently.
Sharifah added that the fourth non-negotiable matter is Sarawak’s right to implement its own laws.
“We want the people to know that we never compromise on this. Nobody can say that our laws are inferior or that we do not have the right to enforce them.
“For instance, laws like the Oil Mining Ordinance or the Land Code were never abolished or repealed. They still exist, so we have every right to enforce them. They can always coexist with any other laws in the country.
“These are the four non-negotiable matters under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). In relation to MA63, I am very hopeful that we can achieve what we have asked for,” she stressed.
She added that Sarawak is committed to pursuing its rights under MA63, including health and education autonomy, a special grant for Sarawak and Sabah, regaining Sabah and Sarawak’s 35 per cent share of parliamentary seats, and more.
“People have to understand that Sarawak and Sabah are very different. We are the entity that formed the country. We did not join the country—we formed it. So, that is very crucial,” she stressed.
She added that the journey to reclaiming Sarawak’s rights cannot be done in the blink of an eye but must go through extensive negotiations.
Sarawak is currently on the right path, and she called on the public to give their full support to the Sarawak government, led by Abang Johari.
“He (Abang Johari) needs strong support from the rakyat to ensure that whatever we fight for under MA63, we can get it back. It is not going to be easy, but Sarawak will always be the priority. That is what he always says.
“We will fight, but he needs the support of the rakyat. It has to be full support. Nobody will listen to a Premier who does not have the full backing of the people. So, that is very important in our negotiations,” she stressed.
