Sarawak's rights always come first in negotiations with Putrajaya, says Sharifah Hasidah (Video)
KUCHING (May 21): The Sarawak government's stance in upholding the state's constitutional and legal rights in all dealings with the federal government is unwavering, said Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
The Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak's Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) declared the state government will always prioritise Sarawak's rights first because it is vital to safeguard Sarawak's autonomy.
'I want to reiterate that our stand and firm position in all our negotiations is always Sarawak first, our rights first,' she told the august House during the question-and-answer session in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) here today.
She was responding to a question from Lidam Assan (GPS-Katibas), who had enquired on the status of Sarawak's MA63 negotiations.
Sharifah Hasidah stressed that the Sarawak government remains steadfast in insisting that the federal government must recognise and acknowledge Sarawak's rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, the Federal Constitution, the State Constitution, and other relevant state laws.
'All these must be recognised. This is our stand and our position,' she said, adding that Sarawak will not compromise when it comes to matters involving its constitutional entitlements and autonomy.
Sharifah Hasidah's remarks come as Sarawak continues to engage with Putrajaya on various outstanding issues related to the implementation of MA63 and the devolution of powers to the state.
The Sarawak government has long maintained that the restoration and full implementation of MA63 is vital to ensuring equitable development and preserving the rights and interests of the state and its people. MA63 Sarawak autonomy Sarawak FIrst Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali
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