The Sandakan coordinator of Parti Warisan Sabah’s MA63 bureau said the lethargic approach of the current state government, coupled with the Umno-led federal government’s ignorance, had denied these rights and privileges.
“Warisan believes that if the state or federal governments continue to be under the control of Umno or Barisan Nasional, Sabahans will never get those rights back because they are either unwilling to give them or unable to do so,” she told FMT.
She said the intention of the Umno-led BN had been very clear since the day Malaysia was formed – they never intended to give Sabah and Sarawak equal rights as promised in the MA63.
“So, we do not put hopes on them ever enforcing the rights, until and unless we are strong enough to make them abide by it. How strong? Well, we need a two-thirds majority in the state legislative assembly,” she said.
She criticised the action of some opposition parties in Sabah which, she claimed, were constantly attacking Warisan, instead of the BN.
She accused the parties of trying to nullify the Malaysia Agreement which, she said, was the best weapon for Sabah to get its rights back.
Referring to the suit filed by five members of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) on Wednesday seeking the court’s declaration on the status of the agreement, Mazliwati said a similar suit in the past had been rejected based on “no locus standi”.
“A copy paste suit deserves a copy paste judgement. It is nothing more than a waste of the court’s time,” she said.
She pointed out that the agreement still stood as none of the other signing partners had annulled it, including the United Kingdom.
Additionally, she said, in the Singapore Agreement of Separation from Malaysia, Article IV referred to Annexure B which stated that all the international treaties and agreements or conventions entered into before Singapore Day should remain the same.
Mazliwati questioned the motive behind the suit as it could be construed as an attack on a platform that Warisan had been using.
“If they are concerned about the people, they should be open to all ways of getting those rights. It matters not who brings it. Warisan is only concerned that it should reach the people,” she said.