Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister not just a coordinator, says analyst

An analyst has advised against viewing Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud as a mere coordinator for Putrajaya and the two state governments.

Syahruddin Awang Ahmad of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said Mustapha’s role had evolved into something more significant: to ensure that Putrajaya’s policies take into account the interest of East Malaysians, including concerns over the cost of living, funding and matters related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“It (the portfolio) allows for more active participation when formulating federal policies before they are finalised by the Cabinet,” he told FMT.

Mustapha’s ministerial post also allows him to raise socioeconomic issues and those related to constitutional rights and infrastructure development, among others, directly with the government, he said.

On Sept 16, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the special grant for Sarawak would be increased to RM1.5 billion.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said Putrajaya had raised Sabah’s special grant amount in stages from RM300 million to RM1.5 billion in the interim pending the determination of a formula for quantum.

Syahruddin said these announcements were significant in view of the needs of East Malaysians, which are influenced by geographical barriers and travel costs and differ from the challenges faced by West Malaysians.

“A Sabah and Sarawak affairs portfolio allows for more targeted resolutions to address the realities in East Malaysia.”

Meanwhile, Arvin Tajari of Universiti Teknologi Mara said the minister must ensure that Sabah and Sarawak’s rights are always safeguarded in their dealings with the federal government.

“The minister is the middle man between Putrajaya and the two state governments,” he said.

He said the role was more vital in relation to issues concerning federalism and the implementation of MA63.

However, both Arvin and Syahruddin said progress made via policies was not the only way to gauge the effectiveness of such a portfolio.

Arvin said the minister must be more proactive in pushing for MA63 demands to be fulfilled, and explain developments in negotiations between Putrajaya and the Sabah and Sarawak governments.

Syahruddin, meanwhile, said a better way to gauge the minister’s success would be his ability to come up with a solution for MA63-related issues, including revenue entitlement and the devolution of administrative powers.

“While the recent announcements (by Anwar) are a positive step forward, they are still part of the (federal government’s) efforts to close the existing gaps in terms of development.

“There needs to be a steady commitment to realise MA63’s demands for the ministerial role to be effective.”

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