Kuala lumpur: There is no record to show that Parti Warisan succeeded in resolving the 17 claims in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) during their leadership of the Sabah government from 2018 to 2020.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Armizan noted that the claim by Warisan has been circulating since 2023 and has resurfaced as a campaign tool for the party in the lead-up to the 17th Sabah State Election (PRN). Armizan, who previously served as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah, Sarawak Affairs, and Special Functions, and headed the MA63 Secretariat in the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division, stated that the Secretariat’s documents do not support the claim that the 17 matters were fully resolved.

Armizan elaborated that when he questioned Warisan about this in 2023, the response was that the issues were not yet resolved, but had been agreed upon. He expressed concern that the party is again using the ‘success of 17’ in MA63 as a political strategy leading up to the state election. He emphasized the importance of the MA63 issue for Sabah and urged that it should not be exploited as a political tool.

Armizan clarified that in government administration, terms such as ‘agreement in principle’ or ‘policy approval’ do not equate to full approval or implementation of a matter. He mentioned that he is unsure about the specifics of the 17 matters claimed by Warisan and suggested that it is the party’s responsibility to explain them.

During his one-year tenure leading the MA63 Secretariat from December 2022 to December 2023, Armizan noted that five matters were discussed, agreed upon, and implemented through various official instruments.