KOTA KINABALU, Jan 26 — The Sabah Rights review committee is expected to present a report to the state Cabinet by March this year that will be the basis for autonomy talks with Putrajaya.
Sabah Rights Review Committee chairman Datuk Teo Chee Kang said the committee hopes to compile the feedback from 10 political parties from both divides taken at a special hearing today, and will present it to the state Cabinet for approval by March.
“Shortly after we get the state Cabinet approval, we can forward the report to Kuala Lumpur and perhaps present it to the national joint committee when the date is set,” he said, referring to the federal-level joint committee chaired by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri.
Teo said the hearing today was attended by 10 out of 16 parties invited, where each party was invited to give their thoughts in a closed-door hearing in front of the special panel.
“From what we have heard, most parties are agreeable on all the issues and subjects pertaining to the state rights. I don’t think there are any disagreements,” he said.
He said that the biggest focus were on the special grant accorded to Sabah which accords Sabah 40 per cent of the state’s own revenue to be returned, oil and gas entitlement, for the education syllabus to be controlled by the state, as well as healthcare and sea territory borders.
“All seem to agree on these. Some had clearly gone through extensive research and submitted bundles of documents,” he said.
Parti Warisan Sabah, Parti Amanah and the United Sabah Alliance consisting of Parti Cinta Sabah, Parti Solidarity Tanah Airku party (Sabah Star) and Sabah Progressive Party did not attend the hearing.
The committee today consisted of the State Attorney General Datuk Mariati Robert, Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Datuk Pg Hassanel Mohd Tahir, Datuk Seri Clarence Bongkos Malakun, Datuk Stephen Foo Kiat Shin and lawyer Fuad Ahmad among others.
Sabah has been asking for more autonomy from the federal government to run its own affairs, particularly those that were enshrined in the Constitution and in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement during the formation of the country.
Certain devolution of powers that have been accorded to the state by the federal government have been seen as insufficient.
Other issues that continue to be hotly debated is the state’s control over its own immigration powers, national registration and the abolishment of the cabotage policy.
