Yong said that it was former foreign minister Anifah Aman who had managed to bring national attention to the Malaysia Agreement 1963, particularly in the federal cabinet.

“Anifah even invited Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Jeffrey Kitingan, myself and other activists to speak on Sabah’s rights, oil royalties, Borneonisation of the civil service and other MA63 matters at University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), which was the biggest official audience on the subject of MA63 to date,” he told FMT.

He said Kitingan was one of the earliest fighters for the state’s rights, particularly on the 20 Points issue.

Yong said Shafie should clarify if he was involved in fighting for MA63 at the federal level when he served as a minister in the previous government.

“I am not saying that he was not involved when he was a federal minister because I was never in the federal cabinet and so I do not know but he should clarify and explain if he did fight for MA63 and what the results were,” Yong said.

He said another member of the previous Sabah government who played a role in championing state rights was former Sabah special functions minister Teo Chee Kang in his capacity as chairman of the Sabah Cabinet Committee on MA63.

In fact, he said MA63 was also part of Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) political discourse for the Batu Sapi by-election in 2010.

Several former BN leaders from east Malaysia have recently said that MA63 issues, including the special grant, were discussed “aggressively” by the former federal Cabinet.

Yong’s defence of the BN government’s efforts come in the wake of a warning by Shafie that Sabahans, especially those in Kimanis, should not be taken in by the BN’s empty promises.

He said BN leaders were only trying to exploit issues such as MA63 to gain the support of voters at the Kimanis by-election on Jan 18.

“(BN) has long (been in power). This is yet another promise (to fully implement MA63 if BN was returned to power).

“Stop talking… it has been 50 years (BN’s rule in Sabah). Enough, the people of Sabah are not stupid,” he said in response to a promise by BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to fully implement the MA63 if BN was returned to power.

Yong said he hoped the current government leaders would stop blaming others for their own shortcomings.

“They (Warisan leaders) are in power now, and it is up to them to deliver,” he added.