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KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the Special Committee on Malaysia Agreement 1963 chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will hold its second meeting in Kuala Lumpur today (Tuesday).

He said the issues that will be brought up today (Tuesday) will revolve around Sabah’s rights, the 20 per cent oil royalty, autonomy and oil and gas, among others.

“I don’t want to spell it all out because it is still being discussed, but I am sure the efforts taken by the Prime Minister will result in the realisation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“It’s still at the negotiation phase. What is important is we already have made a good effort. It’s a journey that will take some time, but we will be able to realise it,” he told reporters after launching a special executive course, organised by Public Service Department the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan), for MPs and assemblymen, here, Monday. 

Stressing it is important to create one united race, Shafie said he was confident the path opened up by Dr Mahathir was moving towards that direction. 

He said what the Prime Minister had said when he came to Sabah during the national-level Malaysia Day celebration, that Sabah, Sarawak and the Malay Federation as three territories, was already a recognition. 

“What is important to us is how it can be turned into a reality. Maybe it needs to be brought to Parliament for us to translate it into a reality.” 

Asked on comments by some that Sabah’s status will be downgraded to that of Labuan Federal Territory (FT), Shafie quipped: 

“No, it is not like Labuan FT.” 

On the Semenyih by-election, Shafie said the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) win in the by-election, its second victory after the Cameron Highlands by-election, is a signal to the Government, including in Sabah, to work hard to fulfil what are expected of them by the people.

“Whatever happens in the peninsula will also have some kind of effect on Sabah and Sarawak. We have to take note of that. 

“This is what the people wanted and we have to accept the decision,” he said.

He added that the Government would take steps to ensure that Sabahans do not reject the present administration.

“We will look at how we can synchronise so that it (what happened in Cameron Highlands and Semenyih) will not continue, to ensure our position as the Government and that our elected representatives fulfil the people’s expectations,” said Shafie. 

When asked on opinions by some that BN won in Semenyih because the Government parties had been focusing more on attacking the previous administration than the people, Shafie said: 

“Move forward...let us move forward.” 

The Semenyih state seat in Selangor returned to BN in the by-election held last Saturday after it lost it in the 14th general election, with PAS staying out and lending its support to the opposition party in a tight race against the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH). 

BN’s Zakaria Hanafi obtained 19,780 votes and, with a majority of 1,914 votes, beat his closest rival, PH’s Muhammad Aiman Zainal, who garnered 17,866 votes. 

It was the first time PH lost a seat it won in the 14th general election. BN had retained the Cameron Highlands seat in a by-election prior to the Semenyih race. BN’s win came amid the highest voter turnout of all by-elections after the May 9 general election at 73.24 per cent.