Kota Kinabalu: Sabah rights group, Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo), said the Federal Government’s approval for India to establish its embassy in Sabah reflects growing international recognition of the State’s distinct constitutional position and strategic importance.
Its President Daniel Jambun said:
“The development is significant as it demonstrates that Sabah is not merely an administrative extension of Peninsular Malaysia.”
He noted that Sabah holds a special position arising from its history, geography and constitutional arrangements under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
While acknowledging that foreign affairs remain a federal responsibility, Daniel said the decision to locate a foreign diplomatic mission in Sabah demonstrates in practice that the State is not constitutionally interchangeable with peninsula states.
“Such differentiated engagement is consistent with the spirit and intent of MA63, which recognised Sabah as a founding partner with its own safeguards, identity and standing,” he said.
“This decision quietly disproves that mindset. It reinforces the case for Sabah to be accorded greater administrative space and dignity in international-facing sectors such as trade, investment, education, tourism, and regional cooperation, consistent with constitutional principles,” he said.
Daniel said a stronger Sabah does not weaken the Federation, but instead strengthens Malaysia by restoring balance, trust and constitutional fidelity.
“Sabah’s visibility on the international stage benefits not only Sabah, but Malaysia as a whole,” he said.
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