Parti Warisan Sabah supreme council member Martin Tommy said Kitingan’s suggestion failed to highlight the spirit of unity shared among Malaysians. — Reuters pic

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 16 — The suggestion to replace the allegedly “outdated” Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) was both untimely and unpatriotic, Parti Warisan Sabah supreme council member Martin Tommy said today.

Taking a jab at the proposer, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan, Tommy said the former’s suggestion failed to highlight the spirit of unity shared among Malaysians.

“Jeffery is literally talking about secession or a breakup of Malaysia, which is not permitted under the Federal Constitution. It can be tantamount to treason,” he said in a statement here.

The political secretary to Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong also stressed that MA63 had been agreed upon by competent territories which eventually led to the formation of Malaysia.

“There is no provision in MA63 that provides for its termination.

“What is needed to be done now is to review the terms to determine whether any of the provisions has not been complied with by the Federal government... such move should suffice,” he added.

“No Malaysian in his right mind would simply decide to seek for another agreement.”

Previously, Liew reportedly said that the return of status for both Sabah and Sarawak, in accordance with the MA63, is one of the five pillars under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto.

Following which, Kitingan yesterday mooted a new document dubbed the Malaysian Union Agreement 2020 (MUA2020) to reflect the equal partnership and grant full autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak.