MA63: Sabah education-related demands still under discussion, says Fadillah

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 24): The demands relating to education issues in Sabah are still under discussion even after being deliberated at the Meeting of the Joint Action Committee on Education Development in Sabah Meeting No. 1/2024 on Aug 26, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

He said the meeting was jointly chaired by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Permanent Secretary of the Sabah Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

“For education issues in Sabah, the demands received by MOE mainly concern the educational infrastructure, management, curriculum, and education policies.

“These demands will then be forwarded for review and consideration by the Joint Action Committee on Education Development in Sabah, which will be co-chaired by the Minister of Education (Fadhlina Sidek) and the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Sabah (Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Datuk Mohd Arif) soon,” he said in a written reply published on the Parliament website today.

Fadillah is replying to Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (Warisan-Kota Belud) who wanted to know the reason why Sarawak can finalise the devolution of autonomous powers in education under the Technical Committee of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) but Sabah is yet to be able to do so. She also wanted the Deputy Prime Minister to state in detail the demands put forward.

Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said that the demands related to education in Sabah and Sarawak are among the key issues discussed during the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meetings chaired by the Prime Minister, and the Technical Committee meetings under MTPMA63, which he chairs.

For education issues in Sarawak, he said the majority of demands have been agreed upon by both parties and for several other matters that still require further discussion, they will continue to be addressed in meetings at the MOE level.

“The Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BHESS, JPM), as the Secretariat to MTPMA63 and the Technical Committee under MTPMA63, will continue to monitor those issues with all stakeholders at the federal and state levels,” he added. – Bernama