KUCHING, Nov 17 — State Opposition politicians are sceptical that Sarawak is closer to regaining its autonomy after Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem dialled back on tabling a state legislative motion to press for its rights.

Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru president Cobbold John Lusoi said Adenan’s withdrawal shows the state Barisan Nasional (BN) government is not serious about reclaiming those rights from Putrajaya, as spelled out in the Malaysia Agreement, Malaysia Act and Inter-Governmental Committee Report.

"The about-turn is shocking,” he said, stressing that he is one of those Sarawakians who have expressed support for the motion to be tabled and then passed in the state assembly which sits from November 21 to 30.

"With his announcement yesterday, Adenan will have a hard time trying to convince fellow Sarawakians that he is serious about getting those rights back, especially on reinstating Sarawak’s 1963 status as equal partner to Malaya,” he said.

Sarawak Reform Party president Lina Soo expressed disappointment with Adenan for crushing the people’s expectations after giving them hope in his November 1 announcement.

She said the people of Sarawak have been eagerly anticipating the state government’s pledge to address and resolve the grievances done to them since 1963.

"However, the recent turn of events shows that a Sarawak BN-led government will always fail the Sarawak people even at the last-minute,” she said.

Adenan, after chairing the PBB supreme council and State Barisan’s pre-council meetings yesterday, had announced that the state government would not table the motion to seek the return of those rights, as spelled out in the Malaysia Agreement, Malaysia Act and Inter-Government Committee Report, from Putrajaya.

He said the decision was made after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had remarked that he was ready to meet government leaders from Sarawak and Sabah to discuss the Malaysia Agreement.

Adenan also said he had met with Najib on November 12, to discuss the agreement and the devolution of powers from the federal to the state governments.