Sarawak Senator Robert Lau has urged the Federal Government to uphold the original intent of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to ensure equality between the Borneo states and the peninsula.
He said the Royal Address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 19 reminded Malaysians that MA63 was founded on unity, mutual respect and cooperation between the states and the Federal Government.
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Lau highlighted long-standing issues affecting Sabah and Sarawak, including ownership of the continental shelf, one-third parliamentary representation and special grants under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
He said the continental shelf dispute stemmed from the unilateral extension of the Continental Shelf Act 1966 and the Petroleum Mining Act 1966 to Sabah and Sarawak under Emergency Ordinances in 1969 without the consent of the Borneo states.
According to him, Sarawak has filed a petition in the Federal Court to clarify the constitutional validity and applicability of these laws, while Petronas has applied to the court seeking guidance on its operations in Sarawak.
Lau said Sabah and Sarawak were originally promised one-third of Dewan Rakyat seats as a safeguard against unilateral constitutional amendments, but their combined representation has since fallen to about 25 per cent.
He also cited delays in complying with a 2025 High Court ruling granting Sabah 40 per cent of federal revenue derived from the state, saying progress remained slow due to federal appeals and that Sabah and Sarawak had lost decades of development opportunities and petroleum revenue.
