Warisan VP moots Sabah-S’wak ‘manifesto’ to pursue shared interests

Warisan vice-president Junz Wong has proposed that the Sabah and Sarawak governments consider drawing up a joint “manifesto” of sorts to pursue shared interests between the Bornean states.

In what appeared to be a renewed push for a “Borneo bloc”, Wong said the two states had many issues in common and needed to work closely together.

“We need to work together 100%. We should even have a cross-border manifesto that talks about two states fighting for the same thing.

“We have a lot of things in common that we are fighting for, and for Malaysia as well, not just Sabah and Sarawak,” the four-term assemblyman said at a recent forum titled “Unity in Diversity” at HELP University.

He was responding to a question from fellow panellist Larry Sng, the Julau MP, who asked if Wong expected Sabah to receive a fair share of what was agreed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) in the near future.

Wong said this would depend on political developments in West Malaysia as well as Sabah’s ability to unite politically and work hand in hand with Sarawak.

The former state minister added that cooperation between the two East Malaysian states should go beyond pursuing their rights and include a common economic direction for the next five years.

The idea of a Borneo bloc was broached in 2010 as a grouping of political parties when Jeffrey Kitingan of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku announced the formation of the United Borneo Front to push for Sabah and Sarawak’s rights under MA63.

The idea cropped up again following the exit of Sarawak’s ruling parties from Barisan Nasional in 2018.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the Federal Constitution would be amended to increase Sabah and Sarawak’s representation in Parliament in accordance with MA63.

Other outstanding issues include Sabah’s 40% net revenue entitlement and Sarawak’s petroleum-related demands.