KUCHING, Aug 19 — Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri James Masing today suggested that Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya renegotiate a new deal for their union to replace the Malaysia Agreement (MA63).
He asserted that MA63 has been rendered null and void after the withdrawal of Singapore, one of the four parties to the agreement, in 1965.
He stressed after Singapore’s withdrawal from the federation of Malaysia, Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya did not sign any supplementary agreement to validate their union.
“Let the three territories within Malaysia make a new agreement. It will not be called MA63 because this new deal has superseded it,” Masing said a statement texted to Malay Mail.
He added the freedom to sign the new agreement lies exclusively with the individual territories, that is, Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah.
“It will be indeed a New Malaysia as coined by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government,” he said.
Masing said the Special Cabinet Committee on the review of MA63, chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is equivalent to the creation of a supplementary agreement after the withdrawal of Singapore.
“If this is what the current meeting involving Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya is all about, (then) I am for it,” he said.
Masing, who is also the deputy chief minister, said this afternoon’s meeting among GPS top leaders did not discuss anything relating to MA63.
“We were discussing some additions to our Kenyalang logo. We agreed that the initial GPS should be written under the Kenyalang logo to differentiate our logo from that of other organisations which also have the state bird as their symbol,” he said.
He added the proposed addition will be submitted to the Registrar of Societies for approval and registration.
Masing also said GPS leaders have not been briefed by GPS parliamentary chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof on the MA63 technical committee meeting today.
He said Fadillah is one of the state representatives in the technical committee.
