Kuching: Negotiations between the federal and state governments regarding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) can be resolved amicably without the need to bring the matter to court for legal interpretation, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said. He stated that Sarawak has guaranteed it would not involve the courts in finalising the legal interpretation of MA63.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fadillah mentioned that Sarawak prefers not to escalate the matter to court, emphasizing the importance of resolving issues at the highest leadership levels. He explained that court intervention would be considered only if an agreement cannot be reached through negotiations. The aim is to find a solution through discussions at federal and state levels without court involvement, he noted during the Executive Dialogue at the ‘Jiwa Komuniti MADANI dan Media’ programme.
Fadillah, who chairs the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), expressed confidence in reaching a resolution with strong cooperation between the MADANI government and state administrations. He highlighted that the legal interpretation of the agreement can be finalized as outlined in the Federal Constitution. He also pointed out that there are five critical MA63-related claims still pending resolution, including the 35 percent parliamentary seat quota for Sabah and Sarawak, oil royalty, and the formula for increasing development allocations under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.
The ‘Jiwa Komuniti MADANI dan Media’ programme, held at the Haji Kamaruddin bin Ahmad hall in Kampung Segedup, aims to boost self-motivation and encourage active participation among MADANI Community members and media partners to strengthen communication networks. The event saw the participation of MADANI Community members from the Petra Jaya parliamentary constituency, including the state constituencies of Tupong, Samariang, and Satok.
Also in attendance were Sarawak Information Department (JaPen) director Helmy Hamid, Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication (Sarawak Energy Berhad and Petroleum Sarawak Bhd) Datuk Ibrahim Baki, and Tupong assemblyman Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.