Pelawan rep reminded MA63 talks began before PH took over Putrajaya

January 8, 2019

SIBU: DAP Sarawak deputy chairman David Wong appears to have ‘short memory’ when insinuating that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government ought to be credited for initiating discussion on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) through the setting-up of the Special Cabinet Committee.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the Pelawan assemblyman seems unaware that discussions on the devolution of power between Putrajaya and the state governments of Sabah and Sarawak were ongoing even before the last general election.

“It (discussion) did not come about only after PH came to power. He (Wong) should recall that the late Pehin Sri Adenan (Satem) raised these issues on state rights that diminished through the years since 1963 including our rights on oil and gas, and he had asked for a return of these rights,” he said yesterday.

Abdul Karim clarifies ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ remark

July 17, 2018

Abdul Karim (second right) shaking hands with Wong after the joint press conference. 

KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had to clear the air on his remark ‘beggars cannot be choosers’, which is believed to have offended some constituents in the opposition areas.

At a press conference yesterday, he said he did not refer to any particular person and clarified that “sometimes quotes are given in jest”.

“Definitely, the honourable members from DAP (Democratic Action Party) and PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) are not beggars, they are elected representatives,” he said at the media centre after delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly.

Sarawak BN rep says high time to revisit MA63

December 9, 2015

Barisan Nasional (BN) Sarawak denies that it’s trying to jump on the “popularity bandwagon” created by the Opposition on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and claims that in fact Chief Minister Adenan Satem led the way.

KUCHING: An assemblyman who seconded a motion in the Sarawak Assembly calling on the Federal Government to comply with the intentions of the Founding Fathers in Borneo, as expressed in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), said that it (compliance) was an idea whose time has come.

“It’s high time to revisit the agreement. There’s increasing pressure on the Sarawak Government in the social media. People are raising the MA63 and asking all sorts of questions. The government has to respond.”

Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Hamzah, also the Assistant Minister of Housing, disclosed that the Sarawak Government has since set up many committees on MA63.

He pointed out that it cannot be denied that there was a lot of unhappiness in Sarawak about the territory’s state of under-development despite over half a century of Federation with the peninsula and Sabah. “There are also questions on oil and gas rights, education, the status of the English language and freedom of worship. We are very unhappy that Sarawak, like Sabah, has been dragged into the Allah issue in the peninsula.”

Abdul Karim was explaining the motion introduced this week by Baleh assemblyman James Masing, also Sarawak Minister for Land Development. “After more than 50 years, there are various factors that ought to be looked into and considered.”

“Has MA63 been complied with?”

The Assistant Minister said that he doesn’t want to dwell on areas that have been eroded over the years and added that these have been raised by Chief Minister Adenan Satem. “Adenan has raised these issues in the State Assembly, in public in Sarawak and in the peninsula.”