SUPP to assist Adenan in autonomy talk

KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) will assist the Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Adenan Satem to reclaim Sarawak autonomy from the federal government by providing original copies of documents as facts and proofs of Sarawak’s rights.

“In my winding up speech at the last State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, I had said that SUPP would set up a research committee, ‘Safeguards Sarawak Commitee’ to help Adenan to fight for our autonomy. To do so, we must have the facts,” SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said during a briefing on the ‘Formation of Malaysia’ at SUPP headquarters here, yesterday.

“This committee, which is formed by some historians and legal experts, will be led by SUPP vice president Datuk Lee Kim Shin to look through some of the documents that SUPP has in its library since 1963.

“SUPP is able to assist in this because it is the only political party that existed before the formation of Malaysia,” pointed out Dr Sim.

He disclosed the some of the documents were acquired recently from the National Archives of United Kingdom (UK) which had been declassified, original copies of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) signed on 9 July 1963, documents related to delegation meetings in Sarawak in 1961 and others.

“Our research team will summarise all the facts and brief the Chief Minister so that he will be well equipped with the facts and proofs as well as the original copies of documents in the fight to claim back Sarawak autonomy,” he said, adding that these important documents would also help Sarawakians know their rights.

Dr Sim said the process to claim back the autonomy would take time but the first results would be expected by the end of December this year.

He once again emphasised that the state government was not renegotiating with the federal government.

“Sarawak should have been treated differently and the differences that we want are actually very simple,” he said.

“We just want to stick to the agreement that we have signed in 1963 and we hope the erosion of our autonomy over the past 53 years can be corrected.We are not being greedy; we only want whatever we signed for in 1963,” said Dr Sim.

DATUK Dr Sim Kui Hian (centre) with Datuk Lee Kim Shin (second right) and members of SUPP’s ‘Sarawak Autonomy and Devolution of Powers Working Committee’ showing some original documents kept at the Research and Resource Centre of SUPP headquarters in Kuching. 

Sarawak Tribune

Date Posted : Friday 15-Jul-2016

   

PHOTO: JULIE NGADAN