My comments on proposed amendment to use the term ‘Borneo States’ to refer to Sarawak and Sabah

This morning I had told our media friends that it is about time for the proposed amendment to use the term ‘Borneo States’ to refer to Sarawak and Sabah to be decided because this is a long overdue issue. They seek my comments on the proposed amendments to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution under the Federal Constitution (Amendments) Bill 2021 which is expected to be approved. This had shown us that our country is finally putting this matter into the right perspective. 

In fact, I have also mentioned that this is what was agreed in the negotiations when both Sarawak and Sabah had agreed to form Malaysia which led to the signing of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Under the country’s Federal Constitution, it was initially stated that the states of the Federation shall comprised of the states of Malaya namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu; the Borneo States namely Sabah and Sarawak; and the State of Singapore, which had separated from us on 9 August 1965. 

So it is specifically stated there that we are different but over the years, somehow they included us with the other states which made it look like we are on the same category as the other states in Malaysia. We had never signed anything with the other states. We only signed with the representative representing one Peninsular Malaysia when we formed Malaysia. I had reiterated that with the proposed amendment to the constitution, this will finally put Sarawak and Sabah back to the right perspective. It is a long overdue decision and I hope it doesn’t go back to that point again. 

This matter was highlighted by our media friemds after our Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, YB Datuk Hajah Hanifah Taib on December 1 had mentioned in the Dewan Rakyat that Sarawak and Sabah will no longer be known as East Malaysia but as the Borneo States once the proposed amendments to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution under the Federal Constitution (Amendments) Bill 2021 is approved. Putrajaya was said to have no plans to rebrand Sabah and Sarawak as “mainland Malaysia” as the current terms used to address the two Borneo states was suffice.

Welcoming passengers from inaugural direct flight from Penang to Kuching

It was a great occasion when we welcomed the arrival of passengers from the inaugural Malaysia Airlines (MAS) direct flight from Penang to Kuching this morning. Flight MH2721 arrived at our Kuching International Airport (KIA) at about 10:30 am. I was there at the airport's arrival hall to greet the passengers and presented them with garlands made of Sarawak beads. 

During the press conference, I had informed our media friends that it is so good to see that Sarawak and Penang are now connected via Malaysia Airlines. Both the connectivity and accessibility will therefore generate greater mobility that will drive the economic growth of both states and I am very sure that people of both islands can now visit both UNESCO sites more easily. The Penang-Kuching flight will operate with a frequency of two flights weekly, on Thursdays and Saturdays on Malaysia Airlines Boeing 738 planes.

As the Covid-19 pandemic has made all countries focus inwards, Abdul Karim asserts that Sarawak is no exception. Recently, Kuching has just been recognised as UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of gastronomy and with a direct link to the UNESCO World Heritage City of Georgetown, visitors from both states can now also enjoy the best offerings of both cities blessed with the abundance of culture, adventure, nature food and festivals from East to West

Air connectivity has always been a challenge for Penangites to visit Sarawak, hence getting direct flights for both island states is very much welcome. Fully vaccinated domestic travellers from all states are not required to undergo quarantine upon arrival to Sarawak and no PCR or RTK Covid-19 tests are needed prior to departure. The only requirement needed is for them to apply for entry via the EnterSarawak app for non Sarawakians. They also need to submit the completed e-Health declaration form. 

On another note, the homegrown brand ‘Sia Sitok Sarawak’ holiday promotions undertaken by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) received overwhelming response from all over in which it had helped the local tourism industry during recent challenging times. The positive response had also shown us that there is certainly a lot of potential for domestic tourism. The easing of travelling into Sarawak had done us a big favour and certainly we look forward to seeing more new direct routes and increasing the frequency of direct flights from hubs such as Penang, KL, Johore and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. Similarly, the health and safety of our visitors had always been the main priority in which stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs) were consistently enforced so that travellers will have peace of mind while travelling to Sarawak.