KOTA KINABALU: The federal government has confirmed that it has not received any formal requests from the governments of Sabah and Sarawak to change their status as states to being federal territories, as of now.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, stated that they believe both state governments are currently studying this matter from various aspects.
"So far, as the minister responsible for overseeing the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 (MA63) secretariat's database, there have been no formal requests from the governments of Sabah and Sarawak in the negotiation forum to change the state status to a territory.
"I think the governments of the two states are reviewing and considering various aspects because there are different connotations when a state is termed as a territory. Some may perceive a territory to be the same as the Federal Territories of Labuan or Kuala Lumpur," he said.
He made these remarks during an interview with reporters after the MA63 Madani Discourse Programme: Sabah's 60-year Aspiration in Malaysia, held at Menara Kinabalu, here, yesterday.
Additionally, he also mentioned that discussions could be conducted jointly with his department if the governments of Sabah and Sarawak wish to propose it within the context of MA63.
"If both state governments genuinely want to propose it within MA63, we will discuss it while taking into account the existing legislative framework. The basis is the Federal Constitution and MA63, which includes the report of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC)," he said.
