Sabah and Sarawak matters will be addressed

KUALA LUMPUR: All matters related to East Malaysia will be addressed by the government, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The Prime Minister said this included the total number of representatives of the two states in Parliament.

Ismail Sabri said this was among the issues raised during a meeting of the Special Council on the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MKMA63), which he chaired on Thursday.

“God willing, all issues raised in the Borneo states will receive attention in line with the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia,” he said.

According to his Facebook post, the meeting was also attended by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Cabinet ministers as well as leaders of Sabah and Sarawak.

On Thursday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the meeting had endorsed the move of restoring 35% of the 222 Parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak.

The endorsement would see Sabah and Sarawak having 78 of the 222 parliamentary seats.

Ismail Sabri said other matters raised in the meeting included the economy and healthcare in the two Borneo states.

The Prime Minister also gave the government’s commitment to develop the two states in Budget 2023 which will be tabled on Oct 7.

Later in Tumpat, Kelantan, Ismail Sabri said the government agreed to continue implementing four projects under the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC).

He said all the projects were decided at the ECERDC meeting held at the Kelantan State Secretary Office in Kota Baru yesterday.

He said the projects covered the construction of the East Coast Expressway Phase 3 (LPT3) from Gemuroh, Terengganu to Pengkalan Kubor, Tumpat, Kelantan over a distance of 147km and Phase 2 of the Flood Mitigation Project in Rantau Panjang-Golok which were approved with a cost of RM897mil.

“Apart from that, the government also agreed to the extension of the Kuantan-Segamat Highway involving the route from Runchang to Simpang 3 Keratong over 51km.

“The government is also developing towns at the border with Thailand by building a bridge in Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang and the Tak Bai-Pengkalan Kubor bridge,” he said when speaking at the opening of Kampung Laut Heritage Village.

Ismail Sabri also said the government had always been fair to all states. — Bernama