Kota Kinabalu: The meeting between the Sabah leadership and the Federal Government scheduled here tomorrow (Thursday) is expected to resolve some long-standing issues related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“The meeting which will be chaired by the Prime Minister aims to address and resolve several pending matters within the MA63,” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor who is scheduled to meet with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“We hope to unravel and address several issues within the MA63,” Hajiji said when approached by reporters after officiating the 8th World Engineering Science and Technology Congress 2024 at the Sabah International Convention Centre, here, Tuesday.
Hajiji acknowledged that while many aspects of the Agreement have been implemented, there are still outstanding issues that require attention.
When asked about specific topics to be raised during the meeting, Hajiji said all unresolved matters would be on the table, including the long-standing issue of Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue entitlement.
“We will negotiate in good faith with the Prime Minister and the Federal Government to ensure the implementation of the agreed-upon terms,” he said.
“It must be positive. Any meeting should have positive results,” he said, expressing optimism about the outcome of the meeting.
In a separate matter, Hajiji responded to criticisms regarding the award of scholarships, particularly claims that B40 students were not receiving financial aid.
He specifically addressed comments made by Datuk Azis Jamman, saying, “Azis Jamman should be thankful that we gave his child a scholarship. Our intentions are good. We aim to serve and help all our people in need.”
When pressed about current issues facing B40 students and scholarship allocations, Hajiji briefly responded, “We’ll address that later,” suggesting that the matter may be discussed in future deliberations.
