Najib recognises Sabah, Sarawak's rights should be implemented: Ahmad Zahid

KIMANIS: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has recognised that the rights accorded to Sabah and Sarawak under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) should be implemented as the government recognises the two states as part of the Federation of Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said Najib had reiterated that matters concerning the rights of Sabah and Sarawak in the MA63 that were not met during the leadership of a previous prime minister should be fulfilled.
"Clearly the MA63 is recognised by Datuk Seri Najib. If anything is taken, not by Datuk Seri Najib, but by the prime minister who had led the country for 22 years, now we want to return what has been taken.
"If there are issues that were overlooked or matters not resolved by a previous leader, Datuk Seri Najib will find a way to resolve it," he said when speaking at a gathering with residents of the Kimanis parliamentary constituency in Bongawan near here today.
In fact, Ahmad Zahid said Najib also appointed a leader from Sabah, namely Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and one from Sarawak, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri to represent the government to study in detail matters relating to the two states in MA63.
"When Anifah and Nancy are given the mandate by the cabinet (to study in detail MA63), it means the country's leadership (Najib) is serious (in implementing the matters accorded in MA63).
"It (matters under MA63) is not merely a promise in the BN manifesto (for GE14), but its implementation process has started," he said.
Anifah, who is also Kimanis Umno Division chief and incumbent for the Kimanis parliamentary seat, said during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's tenure as prime minister, he had not contributed towards the development of Sabah.
"He (Dr Mahathir) said Sabah people are lazy. Of course, we in Sabah are very offended," he said. — Bernama