SIBU: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg (pic) will make a major announcement regarding Sarawak's rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 on March 6 in Kuching.

Speaking at a "United Night" event in conjunction with Chap Goh Meh celebration on Friday (March 2), Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed to return these rights to the state.

"I want to announce something on March 6 that will bring benefit to Sarawakians. I will not announce it now but on the sixth because the Prime Minister had said he will return the rights of the state under the Malaysia Agreement 1963," he added.

He said he had chosen March 6 to make the announcement as "I am the sixth Chief Minister of the state."

While declining to reveal further what rights would be returned to Sarawak, Abang Johari nevertheless hinted that it would make the state financially strong.

"After March 6, we are going to be financially strong. Only we can decide our future as we have to do a lot of strategic development for our state," he added.

Several outstanding issues regarding Sarawak's rights under the Malaysia Agreement include, among others oil mining rights and territorial waters.

The Territorial Sea Act, which was passed by Parliament in 2012 without consulting the state government, had adversely affected Sarawak's rights by altering the state's territorial waters from 12 to three nautical miles, while the Federal Government claimed a breadth of up to 12 nautical miles.

Sarawak had also sought to increase the state's oil and gas royalty from five to 20 per cent from Putrajaya.