KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — A lawyer from East Malaysia has proposed the special committee on the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63) to be chaired by a neutral party from the United Kingdom instead of politicians from Malaysia.
Robert Lau of Stephen Robert & Wong Advocates based in Sibu, Sarawak said the committee should never be headed by politicians or Cabinet ministers as there could be possibilities of it being politicised — as evident in the previous Barisan Nasional administration.
“It should go back to the original signatory of the agreement, which is the United Kingdom, to look (into) it,” he said during the 100 Days: Scorecard on GE14 Promises at the International Malaysia Law Conference 2018 in the Royale Chulan Hotel.
He also said institutional changes undertook by all those in power, especially the Attorney General of Malaysia, are to be guided by MA63 as it a valid international agreement registered under the United Nations.
Lau also said he felt the 100-days promise by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to set up the committee has not been fulfilled as the committee was not fully formed yet.
“I do not think this will be achieve in three days’ time, but regardless, the people of Sabah and Sarawak are willing to give the government more time to look into it to right what has been taken away for the past 55 years,” he said.
The PH coalition, which took federal power after winning the May 9 general election, will be marking its 100th day in power this Friday.
De facto law minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong had in July in a parliamentary reply, stated that the special committee would comprise representatives from peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak who have expertise in the Malaysia Agreement.
