PM’s announcement of a Special Council on MA63 to discuss issues related to Sabah, Sarawak’s rights

                                        

PM’s announcement of a Special Council on MA63 to discuss issues related to Sabah, Sarawak’s rig

Really  ?

If past records of ‘over-promising and under-delivering’ were any indication, this is likely to be ‘pre-election marketing’, at best.

As Sarawakians, we consider this rather insulting that not only  was the ‘SPIRIT’ of MA63 not upheld, but also trampled upon by ‘self-vested’ leaders using MA63 as an election bargaining chip.

MA63 is a CONTINUOUS process since 1963, regardless of who’s running the State or Putrajaya.

Lest we forget – MA63 is an OBLIGATION, a COMMITMENT, a DUTY, akin to a ‘marriage vow’ mutually agreed upon, prior to tying the knot.

The unfulfilled promises over 57 years smack of irresponsibility, if not dishonesty or deceit and insincerity.

As reported by the Consultative Committee on MA63, 17 out of 21 issues had been decided while the remaining 4 are still ‘on-going’.

All it needs is compliance and implementation. 

On that note, we are posing this question to the GPS State Government – why aren’t we implementing the 17 items in progression first, while awaiting the outcome of the remaining 4 which are still ‘works in progress’?

If not, why not ?

If that’s not stalling for time, what is it then ?

History had shown that Sarawak was rushed into joining the ‘formation’ of Malaysia in 1963, notwithstanding the challenges and circumstances then.

On the same note, why not apply the same urgency in compliance and implementation ?

Aren’t these important issues pertaining to MA63 ?

From the ‘excuses ‘ given, it does appear that the remaining 4 issues would ‘take time’ to be resolved, possibly ‘till the cows come home’.

While not wanting to sound sceptical, we cannot help but remind ourselves that GPS aka ex-BN had hardly been a good ‘role model’ in protecting and safeguarding Sarawak’s rights and interests, insofar as MA63 is concerned.

Who can forget PDA1974, the Constitutional Amendment of 1976 and the Territorial Sea Act 2012 which led to the erosion of Sarawak’s rights including the surrendering of our Oil & Gas Resources to Petronas, relegation of Sarawak’s status and the restriction on our territorial waters to just 3 nautical miles offshore, respectively ?

Moreover, the announcement by the PN Government, more so through a Minister from GPS, to keep the Special Cabinet Committee for MA63 report under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) created more doubts than clarity over the seriousness about restoring Sabah and Sarawak’s rights.

Or is it a case of ‘the promise given was a necessity of the past; the word broken is a necessity of the present’ ?

Doesn’t this remind us of the ‘leopard and its spots’ ?

Or the fox volunteering to guard the chicken coop ?

History is the best judge – those who choose to ignore the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.

May we share a word of ‘friendly and patriotic advice’ with all sons and daughters of Fairland Sarawak – GPS can fool all of us some of the time and some of us all the time but we cannot allow them to fool all of us all the time.