KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, has asserted that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is the most important social contract for maintaining the harmony and stability of the Malaysian Federation.

In a Statesman Lecture titled Malaysia Agreement 1963: The Key To Federal Harmony which was held at the Gemilang Arena, DeTAR PUTRA, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) on Friday, he emphasised that MA63 should not be seen as just a historical document, but rather as the basis for the formation of a nation that continues to live and is relevant within the administrative framework and Federal-State relations.

He explained that MA63 sets out the rights and responsibilities of each entity in the Federation, including recognising the special position of Sarawak and Sabah in terms of immigration, finance, education, language, religion, land, natural resources and state revenue.

He stressed that a comprehensive understanding of the agreement is important so that the principles of justice and harmony can continue to be preserved.

Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi also reminded that in today's social media era, issues related to MA63 are often debated without a solid foundation of knowledge.

Therefore, he called for discussions on MA63 to be guided by fact-based education, civilised dialogue and in-depth academic research so that the community can gain a more balanced and authoritative understanding.

Meanwhile, UNIMAS Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit, expressed his appreciation to Tun Pehin Sri for his willingness to deliver the lecture.

He said programmes such as these not only strengthen the understanding of the country's history and the spirit of unity, but are also in line with the university's aspirations to produce graduates who are knowledgeable, visionary and nationalistic.

According to him, the State Lecture by Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi is an important platform to instill civic awareness and strengthen the value of loyalty to the country, thus becoming a source of inspiration for UNIMAS members and the Sarawak community in understanding the historical journey of the establishment of Malaysia. - UKASnews