Call for new Malaysia treaty won’t hurt Sabah Umno, say analysts

KUCHING: Barisan Nasional deputy president Mohamad Hasan’s proposal for a new Malaysia Agreement will not hurt the party’s chances in Sabah at the 15th general election, two political analysts say.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania said nothing tangible had come out of the proposal, which he said could have been made off the cuff.

Mohamad has since said he had merely made a suggestion and that the stakeholders could decide on a win-win solution.

Some political leaders in Sabah and Sarawak have described it as “a crazy idea” while others said abrogating the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) would be akin to the dismantling of the Malaysian federation.

Another analyst, Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya, said he does not believe that one remark could dampen Umno’s chances in Sabah at the general election.

Voters had many demands and it was difficult to gauge their thoughts or what they wanted. “There’s no one factor that will influence voters’ behaviour,” he said.

Awang Azman said Mohamad’s proposal must be viewed in the context of making the federation work better.

Universiti Putra Malaysia lecturer Jayum Jawan said sentiments about MA63 will continue to flare up every now and then, with the two eastern states prodding the federal government to comply with the demands stipulated in MA63.

Sabah and Sarawak would be more aggressive over MA63 as the next general election was unlikely to result in a dominant coalition obtaining power. — Free Malaysia Today