KOTA KINABALU: Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman is set to form a new Sabah-based party with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) at the forefront of its struggle.
The Kimanis member of parliament today confirmed a statement on the matter that was issued earlier by sources close to him.
The statement also stated that the former Umno Supreme Council member did not wish to join any national party owing to his past personal experience of being handicapped when he wanted to fight for Sabah’s rights within Umno.
“The leadership of national parties tend to be more concerned with the interests of members and leaders in the peninsula, rather than the interests of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.”
The statement said Anifah, who resigned to become an independent politician on Sept 19, wanted to ensure that the original spirit and intention of MA63 was honoured and implemented sincerely as the foundation for a progressive and united Federation of Malaysia, as envisaged by the founding fathers in 1963.
“The implementation of MA63 can no longer be ignored because it is the foundation of Sabah and Sarawak to progress and enjoy certain elements of parity with its counterpart in the Federation of Malaya in terms of development,” the statement said.
“It is an aspiration of Sabahans and Sarawakians for a local based party rather than a national party to represent them in Parliament as the former knows what is best for their own people,”.