He said negotiations to restore the rights, which may have been deliberately eroded, were among the main agenda of the state led by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

“We will continue to fight because these are our rights and they should be restored to us. We are thankful that there is a venue to discuss this matter now, with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob resuming negotiations through the Special Council on MA63.

“Several of our demands have been fulfilled. As for the unsettled ones, we will continue to negotiate to resolve the issues.

“We are doing this not only for Sarawak but also for Malaysia so that our country will always move forward with a strong spirit of unity and solidarity,” he said in an interview.

Awang Tengah said the different ethnicities and religions in Sarawak had never been a weakness but rather a source of strength that united the people in the state.

He said the state government had also established the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) aimed at creating a harmonious society, an initiative which was welcomed by all communities.

“For Muslims, we already have the Islamic Religious Council and the Islamic Religious Department. We set up Unifor to create a harmonious society where people will live together peacefully despite having different religious beliefs.”