KUCHING, Sept 13 2026: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has asked Premier Abang Johari Openg to remind Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that there must be a conclusion to the negotiation over issues relating to Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Caption: PBK president Voon Lee Shan says Sarawak cannot negotiate indefinitely"We cannot continue spending enormous amount of public money, time and political energy on negotiations that go on indefinitely without a final settlement of the fundamental issues," he said in a statement.
"Sarawak cannot negotiate indefinitely," Voon stressed.
He said the federal government must be given a clear and reasonable timeline to resolve the outstanding constitutional, financial, administrative and territorial rights of Sarawak.
He added there must be a clearly defined list of outstanding Sarawak rights and claims, a definite timeline for resolving each issue; and transparent mechanism for implementation
Voon said there must be a binding commitment to amend or restore provisions where necessary; and clear consequence if meaningful resolution cannot be achieved.
"The people of Sarawak should not have to wait another ten, twenty or sixty years for the negotiations to be concluded," he said.
Voon stressed that the problems surrounding MA63) did not begin yesterday, but began even before Malaysia came into existence and have continued, on and off, for more than six decades.
He said Abang Johari has been Sarawak's premier for nearly nine years and eight months, yet the fundamental questions concerning Sarawak's rights and position have still not been conclusively resolved.
Voon noted that the latest MA63 Implementation Action Council meeting in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 11 2026, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attended by Abang Johari and Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, has produced some developments, including an in-principle decision to increase the parliamentary representation of Sabah and Sarawak.
He said Anwar has also indicated that an interim measure concerning Sarawak may be announced on Malaysia Day on Sept 16.
"Let us be honest. These are not the final answers to the fundamental problems of Sarawak," he said, adding that for decades, Sarawakians have been told that discussions are continuing, committees are studying the matters, technical issues are being examined and negotiations will continue.
"How much longer can we wait?" he asked.
Voon said PBK wishes to make this clear to the prime minister, premier and Sabah Chief Minister that the question of MA63 should not be treated merely as a national political narrative, stating it is fundamentally a regional question concerning the relationship between Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.
He reminded that Malaya came to Sabah and Sarawak and proposed the formation of Malaysia, pointing out that the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak agreed to enter into this political arrangement on the basis of certain understandings, safeguards and constitutional arrangements.
"History must not be forgotten," Voon said.
