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“MA63 Timeline: Sabah & Sarawak’s Fight for Equal Partnership”

17 January 1962 – The Cobbold Commission was formed to survey whether the peoples of North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak supported forming a new federation called Malaysia.

1 August 1962 – The Cobbold Commission submitted its report, finding mixed support and recommending that North Borneo and Sarawak could enter into a new federation with proper safeguards for local interests.

9 July 1963 – The Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) was signed in London as an international treaty between five parties: the United Kingdom, the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore. This agreement set the terms for the creation of a new federation called Malaysia, combining these entities as founding partners-not as states “joining” an existing Malaya.

16 September 1963 – The Federation of Malaysia was officially established, founded by the United Kingdom, the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore under MA63 as equal parties.

9 August 1965 – Singapore left the Federation of Malaysia and became an independent republic, changing the original structure set out in MA63.

9 May 2018 – Pakatan Harapan won Malaysia’s general election and pledged to review and restore the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners under MA63.

17 December 2018 – The first meeting of the MA63 Special Cabinet Committee was held to begin reviewing issues related to Sabah and Sarawak's autonomy.

23 July 2019 – A Special Cabinet Committee meeting resolved seven out of 21 MA63-related issues, leaving 14 for further discussion.

14 December 2021 – Malaysia’s Parliament unanimously passed a constitutional amendment recognising MA63 in Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution, reaffirming the founding status of Sabah and Sarawak.

11 February 2022 – The constitutional amendment restoring the equal partner status of Sabah and Sarawak officially came into effect.

15 February 2022 – Sarawak formally changed its head of government title from “Chief Minister” to “Premier” as recognition of its equal partner status under MA63.

15 March 2022 – A group of Sarawakians filed a legal challenge in the Kuching High Court seeking to declare MA63 null and void.

April 2022 – The Sarawak government applied to strike out the lawsuit, arguing the court had no jurisdiction over the international treaty.

25 May 2023 – The Kuching High Court dismissed the suit and affirmed that the Federal Constitution remains the supreme law, with MA63 forming part of its foundation.

16 March 2025 – Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof announced that the MA63 Implementation Council will finalise matters on parliamentary seat quotas and the continental shelf in May.

References:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Agreement • https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Cobbold_Commission • https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/malaysia-agreement-1963-treatys-legal-standing-breaches-roger-chin-gdmrc • https://says.com/my/lifestyle/formation-of-malaysia-old-photos-malaysia-agreement-1963 • https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/unts/volume%20750/volume-750-i-10760-english.pdf • https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=7fdd00ed-603e-47e0-8e08-f6499d385404 • https://www.rsnborneo.com/2024/11/the-malaysia-agreement-1963.html

The Truth About My Struggles and the Illusion Around Me

I went to a psychiatrist in a hospital because I could not sleep. I was having a hard time. I needed help. But the doctor did not treat me with care. He treated me as if I was only a problem. He wrote in his report that I missed classes and blamed financial problems. But that was real. I did not make it up. Financial problems are real for many young people like me.

People say young people today have it easy because we have smartphones, internet, and education. But they forget the truth. We have debt, high costs, and mental pressure. Student loans make our lives harder, not easier. Social media controls how we think and feel. It makes us compare, perform, and spend more. The marketing around us is manipulative. They push us to want things we don’t need.

I tried to open up and connect with others. I shared my pain and tried to make true friends. But some people used my mental health against me. They said I only wanted sympathy. They used my story to look good online. That is not friendship. That is fake and cruel. Social media in Malaysia is full of people pretending to care, but in real life, they do not support people like me.

In Malaysia, even the government wants to look good. They help people from other countries, like Palestinians, and make content to show how kind they are. But what about us? What about poor and disabled people in their own country? I got a little support, just daily allowance. They said my student loan means they will not help with my tuition. That is not fair. That is not real care.

If I speak out, people say I am ungrateful. They say I should move to another country. But loving your country means wanting it to be better. It means caring for all people, not just for show. True patriotism is helping each other during good and bad times. Not punishing someone with huge fines because they missed rent for one month.

I am tired of being silenced. I speak because my story matters. I know many others feel the same. We need to stop pretending and start caring — truly and equally.