KUCHING, Nov 26 ― Sarawak Opposition Leader Chong Chieng Jen today notified the state legislative assembly of a motion requesting the formation of a special committee to review the terms laid in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement when it sits next month.

The state DAP lawmaker also wants the committee to review the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution, which covers federal and state powers.

“The committee should consist of not less than five state legislators whose tasks will be to review the agreement and the Constitution on the devolution of autonomous powers in education, health care, internal security and taxation to the state government,” he said.

Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa state assemblyman, noted that Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem has repeatedly spoken about state autonomy in eight areas of the administration, but said the leader was merely referring to administrative autonomy, and not real autonomy.

“He has overlooked and omitted the most important item for real autonomy for the state, which is the power to collect revenue to finance and implement of state policies,” he said.

He said the state government must have the revenue to finance autonomy on education, health and internal security.

“Therefore, it is the proposal of Sarawak DAP that 20 per cent royalty on oil and gas and 50 per cent of all taxes collected from Sarawak be paid into the state government coffers.

“Without the revenue from the royalty and taxes, all autonomy talk is merely window-dressing because ultimately, it is the annual allocation of fund which determines the extent of what can be planned and implemented,” he added.

Chong has also notified the state legislative assembly of another motion to propose that 10 per cent of the state’s allocation budget for expenditure next year be set aside to set up a private education system for Sarawak where state-owned private schools will only use English as the medium of instruction.

“It is only through the implementation of English medium schools that we can improve the standard of English for our children,” he said.

The Sarawak state assembly will sit from December 7 to 16.