Unite to fight for MA63: Hajiji
Published on: Monday, June 10, 2024
Hajiji, accompanied by members of the Sawit Kinabalu Group’s Board of Directors, signing a plaque to officiate the opening of Sawit Kinabalu’s new headquarters.
DATUK Seri Hajiji Haji Noor reiterated that the State Government has never budged in its efforts to claim Sabah’s constitutional rights, including the return of 40 per cent of net revenue derived by the Federal Government from Sabah yearly.
The Chief Minister said the opposition’s claim that the Government under his leadership did not speak up or remained silent on the issue was incorrect.
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He said the State Government always fought for and asserted Sabah’s rights, whether in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) or Cabinet meetings.
“If we hear the stories outside, all kinds of stories underestimate the Government’s role in demanding our rights. They don’t know that in the MA63 meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, I was also sitting there.
“I clearly state what we demand, including 40 per cent of the tax revenue collected that must be returned to Sabah. That is clear, so don’t say the State Government may not speak up.
“The meetings were recorded and minuted, not only during the 10th Prime Minister’s term (PMX) but also when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri were prime ministers.
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“This (Sabah’s rights claim) can be checked in the minutes of the MA63 meetings,” said Hajiji at the presentation of land titles under the Sabah Customary Land Services Programme (Pantas) and Rumah Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) for Pintasan state constituency at Kampung Pantai Emas, Kota Belud, on June 2.
Hajiji said the effort to claim Sabah’s rights requires a consensus from all parties.
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“Currently some do not support the efforts of the Government.
“In demanding these rights, we have to unite and I really hope that we unite so that it would be easy to not only demand our rights but also ensure that the Federal Government respects our voices.
“Of course, this kind of effort will be slow to succeed. To succeed and progress, I really hope that we are united in politics.”
Regarding the native land issue, Hajiji said the surveying and handing over of native land titles to the natives throughout the State through Pantas would continue.
He said Pantas which was started by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in 2011 solved the problem of delay in land surveying and giving the titles to thousands of natives.
However, there are opposition leaders in Sabah who said the issuance of native land titles had started when they were in power before.
“Half of the leaders thought that the Pantas programme was their initiative, especially Parti Warisan.
“That is not true, Pantas was launched in 2011 and thousands of native land titles have been handed over to the natives. Not Warisan who started it.
“We will continue and I have asked the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department Director to continue it throughout Sabah.
“Any native who has been waiting for a long time but has not received a native land title must be surveyed to ensure they get their rights,” said Hajiji.
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