Fadillah said all parties must consider the historical context of Malaysia’s formation 61 years ago, particularly the agreements made by past leaders that led to the creation of the Federal Constitution.

He said these agreements were the foundation for the legal, human, and political bond, as seen in the formation of the current unity government, which includes representatives from both Sabah and Sarawak.

“If the Cabinet does not understand or agree with this, we will negotiate to find common ground. Even in Parliament, during this two-year term, we have seen strong cooperation among unity government representatives.

“This is our current focus, to find common ground and resolve all disputes by continually negotiating and respecting one another.

“Through this approach, we can maintain our strength,” he said, acknowledging that federal-related issues are challenging given the current circumstances.

Fadillah made these comments during a town hall meeting marking two years of the Madani government at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

While he did not specify what was the ongoing dispute, there is currently a disagreement over the rights to offshore oil and gas exploration in Sarawak between Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) and Petronas.

The Sarawak government has previously reaffirmed that Petros will remain the sole gas aggregator under the Gas Distribution Ordinance.

Petronas, the national oil and gas company, in a statement earlier this month, said the ongoing discussions aim to align the interests and objectives of all parties while preserving existing contractual arrangements.

The talks were also aimed at ensuring commitments to investors and customers continue to be fulfilled.