TMJ SAYS JOHOR SHOULD BE TREATED AS “FEDERAL PARTNERS” LIKE SARAWAK – HERE’S A HISTORY OF MA63
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During a live podcast at the Johor Youth Meetup by Orang Muda Johor (OMJ) on 9 June, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the Regent of Johor, called for a reform of the federal system to help improve states like Johor.
He suggested that Johor be treated as a partner and that Johor-based political parties unite in a coalition known as “Gabungan Bangsa Johor” to advocate for the state’s interest.
He compared the coalition to Sarawak’s ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak, which is comprised of several Sarawak-based parties, and how it managed to negotiate with the federal authorities more effectively together.
Tunku Ismail clarified that the suggested Johor coalition is not to go against the federal authorities but to defend the rights of Johor better.
When you join forces and are united, the federal government cannot be deaf to (your demands) any more. You’ll be the kingmaker. It’s not like we are rioting, opposing the government or trying to overthrow any parties. It’s just that I want Johor to have its rights. Until when will Johor be beggars?
The regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim
One of the issues he highlighted was Johor’s state budget. Currently, he said all of the state’s tax revenue, about RM48 to 49 billion a year, goes to the federal government. The Johor state only gets back RM1.4 billion in return.
Tunku Ismail said RM1.4 billion a year is insufficient to care for Johoreans.
As the podcast went viral, many have been sharing their thoughts on the matter. While some thought Tunku Ismail’s suggestion had merit, others disagreed.
It was pointed out that Johor does not have a coalition because Sabah and Sarawak signed the Malaysia Agreement (MA63) on 9 July 1963 in London, United Kingdom.
There is also a difference between state-level and federation-level powers.
Meanwhile, some believe it’s not the kind of issue to tackle when there are other pressing issues to solve such as rising living costs.
What’s MA63?
MA63 is a legal document agreeing to combine North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore with the existing states of Malaya, resulting in a union called the Federation of Malaysia.
As we all know, Singapore was expelled from this union and became a sovereign state on 9 August 1965 due to different visions of Malaysia.
Over the years, the rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak eroded in various aspects such as getting a smaller share of oil revenue than previously agreed and reduction of territorial waters. Other issues included the lack of freedom of religion and the distribution of profits from natural resources.
When these issues were not solved over time, it triggered some parties in East Malaysia to advocate for separation from Malaysia.
Nooo… come back! Stay!
In October 2009, then-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak declared Malaysia Day (16 September) a national holiday to promote unity between West and East Malaysia.
In 2018, then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced a commitment to restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners after a review of MA63.
A meeting was held in 2019 between Mahathir and representatives from the Sabah and Sarawak governments to iron out the details of the partnership.
The discussions in 2019 fell through. However, on 16 September 2021, then-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob pledged to review the issues with Sabah and Sarawak via the Special Council.
The amendments were tabled on 3 November 2021 with four notable changes: restoring Sabah and Sarawak as “territories,” defining Malaysia Day as the day Sabah and Sarawak joined and changes to the definition of the Federation, and defining who are natives of Sabah and Sarawak.
The proposed amendment was passed in Parliament on 14 December 2021 and the law came into force on 11 February 2022.
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2024-06-11T08:59:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd