The Penampang MP said the Pakatan Harapan-Warisan government had already resolved 17 out of 21 MA63 issues, although Ongkili had previously claimed that was not true.
He said the PH administration’s former deputy minister in charge of law, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, had explained back in 2019 in Parliament about the 17 issues already resolved.
The outstanding issues are the cash payment (oil royalties), ownership of the oil minerals and oil fields, the Territorial Sea Act 2012 and state rights over the continental shelf.
“Ongkili had promised to resolve these issues when he first assumed the portfolio in March last year,” he told FMT.
“The remaining four issues are extremely important to complete the performance of MA63, as besides the Territorial Sea Act and the continental shelf, they also involve the definition of who owns our hydrocarbon and also the quantum of the cash payment for our oil royalty.
“Now is your chance to fulfil that pledge … I also challenge the new prime minister to exert his efforts into addressing this matter as well.
“If you resolve all these issues, then there will be constitutional amendments and there will be laws repealed, among others,” he said, adding that he believed all MPs will support these changes consequent to the completion of the 21 MA63 issues.
Ongkili had in April this year refuted the PH administration’s claim of having resolved 17 out of 21 issues pertaining to MA63.
He said the special council on MA63 set up by the then Perikatan Nasional administration found most of what PH claimed as resolutions were “mere commitments”.
He said commitments were made on the issues but no policies, laws and regulations were implemented to give effect to the commitments.
Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin said Ongkili should embrace the “Malaysian Family” spirit mooted earlier by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, by engaging with Sabah and Sarawak opposition parties on the discussion and implementation of MA63.
“This is a long overdue topic after the Sheraton move as nothing concrete has happened.
“We are open to having bipartisan meetings to pursue the same cause,” he told FMT.
Meanwhile, economist Madeline Berma said she was happy to see Ongkili in the new Cabinet and holding “a very important portfolio”, with Sarawakian counterpart Hanifah Taib as his deputy.
As such, Berma hoped Ongkili, who is Kota Marudu MP, and his team would play a more strategic role in pushing for the implementation of MA63, particularly in resolving the remaining issues for Sabah and Sarawak.
“Another issue of concern that needs to be resolved is the regional equality between Sabah-Sarawak and the peninsula.
“According to the statistics department for the year 2020, Sabah is the poorest state in Malaysia while Sarawak is the third poorest.
“And seven out of the 10 poorest districts in Malaysia are in Sarawak,” said Berma, who is an honorary professor at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.