Armizan calls for MA63 commitments to be fulfilled, not renegotiated

The terms of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) must be fulfilled, rather than replaced with a new agreement or “new deal”, said Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali.

In a Malaysia Day message, Armizan said he wants the value and meaning of Malaysia Day to come with a broader understanding and acceptance of every episode and chapter in the history of the formation of the country.

Armizan, who is also the domestic trade and cost of living minister, pointed out that the MA63 affirms the commitment and responsibility of all parties that agreed to sign the agreement to form the Federation of Malaysia.

He said Article VIII of MA63 required the governments of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak to take the necessary legislative, executive or other measures to implement the assurances, undertakings and recommendations under the Inter-Governmental Committee Report that are not already provided for in the Federal Constitution.

“Moving forward, the country does not need a new agreement or what some quarters have described as a ‘new deal’. This is because the terms of the agreement expressly demonstrate that MA63 did not cease to have effect once the Federal Constitution was enacted.

“Instead, MA63 remains a living document, with the commitments and responsibilities outlined in it remaining relevant and binding – past, present and forever,” he said in a statement.

The Papar MP said awareness of the nation’s history of independence requires not only an understanding of the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948, the social contract among the three major communities, and Malaya’s independence in 1957.

“It also requires full acceptance of the birth certificate of the Federation of Malaysia itself – the MA63,” he said.