KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said today he has already started working on making Sabah and Sarawak equal partners to the peninsula, but called for patience.
The de facto law minister said “lots of work” needed to be done to restore the status of the east Malaysian states in the federation.
“It will take a bit of time and we must have patience for greater things to happen for us all.
“I can assure all of you that works have started earnestly since I am entrusted on the task over a month ago and let’s unite in our efforts and prayers in the matter,” Liew said in a statement.
He cautioned that critics of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government however will “raise many issues” as a distraction.
“As we all know, we won’t go very far if we continue bickering about it as this will weaken us and derail us from achieving our goals,” he added.
Dr Mahathir said today the PH government will work on returning equal rights to Sabah and Sarawak as soon as possible, but it cannot set a time frame for when this will take effect.
Earlier today, Dr Mahathir, who had last night reiterated PH’s election manifesto promise to give the east Malaysian states recognition as per the Malaysia Agreement in 1963, said it may take time to amend the Federal Constitution due to possible opposition in Parliament.
The PH coalition together with Parti Warisan Sabah and Upko control 125 seats in Parliament, but need 148 to change the Constitution.
