KOTA KINABALU, Oct 25 — The people of Sabah and Sarawak remain firmly committed to upholding Malaysia’s sovereignty and reject any provocation involving the disrespectful display of the Jalur Gemilang by irresponsible parties overseas, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said.
He was responding to an incident involving a group of individuals from the ‘Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) Australia’ organisation, who staged a demonstration and displayed the Jalur Gemilang upside down in Melbourne on October 24 in conjunction with United Nations Day.
“The actions of a group of Malaysians disrespecting the Jalur Gemilang overseas risk tarnishing the reputation of Malaysians studying and working in those countries.
“Disrespecting the symbol of national sovereignty does not reflect the courteous and respectful culture of the people of Sabah and Sarawak,” he said in a statement today.
Mustapha said that although the Madani Government guaranteed freedom of speech, the democratic right did not exempt anyone from the legal consequences of their actions.
He therefore encouraged the public to lodge formal police reports so that the authorities could investigate social media content showing the Jalur Gemilang displayed upside down in accordance with the applicable laws.
On the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Mustapha said demands related to the agreement, which were previously considered sensitive, were now being discussed transparently and had been elevated to a key national agenda.
He said formal negotiations under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration over nearly four years had resolved 12 MA63 matters, while the interim special grant to Sabah had been increased to RM1.5 billion annually.
He added that negotiations on Sabah’s demand for 40 per cent of its net revenue continued, to reach a comprehensive settlement.
“The people can judge for themselves the results achieved through negotiations and concrete action, compared with such provocations,” he said. — Bernama