The Malaysian government has reinforced the negotiation structure of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) by appointing new members to the MA63 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
“As part of this commitment, we have decided to improve the negotiation platform structure between the three governments (Federal, Sabah, and Sarawak) by strengthening it through the appointment of new members to the MTPMA63 platform,” Fadillah said during a press conference following the MTPMA63 meeting at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
He announced that a total of 11 demands under the MA63 platform have been successfully resolved. Seven of these were settled under the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, including key changes such as designating the Public Works Department (PWD) in Sabah and Sarawak as a Technical Department, transferring regulatory power over gas supply, and amending the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) Act to include representatives from Sabah and Sarawak as permanent IRB members.
Other resolved matters include the administration of the judiciary in Sabah and Sarawak, special guidelines for returning federal land reserved for Sabah and Sarawak, the transfer of electricity regulatory power and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) to Sabah, and proposed amendments to Article 95B concerning legislative adaptation for both states.
Fadillah, who is also the chairman of the MTPMA63 Technical Committee, noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar, several issues were addressed within the past two years. He also acknowledged that three demands were resolved during the tenure of former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, including handing administrative control of Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Ligitan to Sabah. Additionally, the regulatory control over Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was transferred to Sarawak during former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration.
Fadillah emphasised that MTPMA63 meetings are essential to plan pragmatic actions to address any unresolved demands under MA63.
