KUALA LUMPUR: The government is actively tracing and acquiring archival materials, including documents abroad on Malaysia’s border demarcation and sovereignty.
National Unity (KPN) Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said these are being done via the National Archives of Malaysia with the cooperation of various government agencies, institutes of higher learning, and experts in related fields who are undertaking varied efforts to obtain these materials.
“However, these efforts require a large allocation and are dependent on a budget approved by the government,“ he said when winding up the committee-level debate session on the Supply Bill 2023 for the KPN in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
“Therefore, he said the ministry will endeavour to obtain the allocation needed from the Finance Ministry under the 12th Malaysia Plan for the purchase of the said archival materials.
Last year, local media reported that there were millions of manuscripts of archival materials related to Malaysia that are abroad and some of these materials are important to show as evidence if the country faces any conflict over sovereignty of territorial, border or regional areas.
The winding-up session at the committee level for the ministry also became ‘heated’ at one point when Ahmad Fadhli Bin Shaari (PAS-Pasir Mas) raised the issue related to the Women’s Day march which was held recently in front of SOGO Complex and Dataran Merdeka. He claimed that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community participated in the march.
This caused RSN Rayer (DAP-Jelutong) to stand up and bring up Article 36(12) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders and asked the Pasir Mas MP to explain how he knew the gathering was attended by the group before a heated argument ensued.
However, Dewan Raykat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul quickly brought the situation under control and asked the two MPs as well as Datuk Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang), who tried to join the fray, to sit down and look at the actual situation.
“I remember the issue has been mentioned many times. Firstly, this march is not organised by the LGBT community. Those who took advantage (of the march) are being investigated by the police, so let the police do their job.
“The police are investigating, so we will discuss after there is a decision...That’s why I want to move on,“ he said.
Earlier, Wan Razali Wan Nor (PN-Kuantan) also raised the same issue, causing a ruckus in Dewan when several MPs from the government got up to ask Wan Razali to withdraw his statement before being calmed down by Johari.
Meanwhile, the allocation for KPN in Budget 2023 was passed at the committee level yesterday.
The Supply Bill 2023 for the ministry was passed with a majority voice vote after being debated by 16 MPs from the government and the Opposition.
Among the MPs involved in the debate session were Datuk Ahmad Saad @ Yahaya (PN-Pokok Sena), Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) and Mohamad Shafizan Kepli (GPS-Batang Lupar). - Bernama
