Baru Bian
KUCHING (April 5): The actual significance of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declaring Sarawak a region or wilayah has been questioned by Selangau MP Baru Bian.
During his trip to Sarawak last week, Muhyiddin had said Sarawak is a region and not just a state in Malaysia.
“What has changed as a result of that declaration? Most importantly, what is our status in the Federation? Does he recognise our pre-1976 status or has he accorded us a new status, as yet unexplained?
“It seems he has renamed us a region but our status is still one of the states of the Federation of Malaysia,” the Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) presidential council member said in a statement today.
According to Baru, Sarawakians want to know what the three working committees in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) had done so far since their inception.
He said the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) government had resolved 17 issues leaving four main ones for the prime minister and the two chief ministers of Sarawak and Sabah to resolve, but so far nothing had come of this.
Baru opined it is now the best time for Sarawak and Sabah to claim all their rights under MA63, including an increase in oil royalty not necessary limited to 20 per cent since Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had supported Muhyiddin to be the prime minister and that GPS is a partner within the PN coalition.
“Oil royalty I believe was one of the four unresolved issues left for the then prime minister to negotiate directly with the two chief ministers of
Sabah and Sarawak.
“For Sarawak, to date the state committee has not disclosed to Sarawakians their discoveries on their study jaunt to London in 2017. What are the recommendations and strategies from the team of legal eagles to assert and reclaim our rights that have been lost over the years?” asked the Ba Kelalan assemblyman.
Baru claimed the then PH government’s 2019 motion to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore the original wordings was the best opportunity to reinstate Sarawak and Sabah’s status but the move was derailed by GPS.
He asserted that Muhyiddin had offered nothing when calling Sarawak a region.
“Let him declare our status as an autonomous state and give us what is rightfully ours if he is sincere,” Baru said.
He also asked whether Sarawakians could trust the prime minister and GPS this time.
“I believe Sarawakians have matured politically and are aware of the empty talk so typical of these PN leaders. Actions speak louder than words. Region, state – what is the difference?” he questioned.
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