Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister not just a coordinator, says analyst

Analyst Syahruddin Awang Ahmad advised against viewing Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud as merely a coordinator for the federal government and the two states. According to Ahmad, Mustapha’s role has expanded to ensuring Putrajaya’s policies consider East Malaysian concerns, such as living costs, funding, and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). As a minister, Mustapha can actively participate in formulating federal policies and raise socioeconomic issues directly with the government.

In September, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced increased special grants for Sarawak and Sabah, expanding Sabah’s allocation from RM300 million to RM1.5 billion. Ahmad emphasized that such announcements are significant for addressing East Malaysians’ unique challenges, including geographical barriers and travel costs. Analyst Arvin Tajari of Universiti Teknologi Mara stressed that the minister must safeguard Sabah and Sarawak’s rights in federal dealings, particularly in federalism and MA63 implementation.

While policy progress is one measure of effectiveness, Arvin argued the minister should also be proactive in pushing for MA63 demands and explain negotiations between Putrajaya and the East Malaysian governments. Syahruddin suggested gauging the minister’s success by solving MA63-related issues, such as revenue entitlement and administrative power devolution.

Although recent announcements are positive, both analysts stressed the need for a consistent commitment to fully realize MA63’s demands for the role to be truly effective.