Invitation to Public Forum “The Face of Autonomy”

suppadmin | July 5, 2016

*Book launching “The Grand Design” and Public Forum “The Face of Autonomy”*

On behalf of SUPP, I would like to invite members of the public to join us at the Launching of the book entitled ” The Grand Design ” to be followed by a Public Forum ” under the Theme The Face of Autonomy.” The details as follows:

On the 9th July 1963 in London, the Government of Sarawak represented by leaders such as Tun Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Temenggong Jugah and Tun Abang Haji Openg signed an international treaty called the London Agreement or what is better known now as The Malaysia Agreement 1963. The anniversary of the signing of the Malaysia Agreement is marked by Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) with the launch of a new book entitled “The Grand Design” edited by Mr. Zainnal Ajamain, author of “The Queen’s Obligation”. This new book is a compilation of the 3 important documents that created Malaysia:- the Cobbold Commission Report 1962, the Report of the Inter-Governmental Committee 1962 (IGC) and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

The book launching is on Saturday, 9th July 2016 at 11.30 am in SUPP HQ. This is followed up by a light refreshment and book signing session. After the book signing session, a Public Forum entitled “The Face of Autonomy” will be presented by Mr. Zainnal Ajamain at 1.30 pm in SUPP HQ as well. A Q&A session will follow.

Mr. Zainnal is no stranger to all issues concerning our State Autonomy in the MA63. He spent 15 years researching the negotiations leading up to the formation of Malaysia, the safeguards that were put in place for the interests of the Borneo States and how we were shortchanged for many years. In the forum, Mr. Zainnal will present his findings on our State Autonomy from the British declassified documents, the MA63 and the IGC as well as touching on the latest windup speech by our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem in the recently concluded DUN session.

SUPP has been at the forefront to understand the Rights that were entrenched in the MA63 and the IGC Report and had been associated with scholars and experts like Mr. Zainnal Ajamain to spearhead the movement to reconcile the Policies and Acts of the Federal Government that fundamentally contradict the spirit and details of the agreement to form Malaysia. The Party is also the most active agent to spread this knowledge to create awareness to Sarawakians who have been in the dark about the issues involved or keen to understand more about the subject. It is imperative for the people of Sarawak especially the younger generation to acquire and understand not just the Malaysia Agreement 1963 but also the other 3 documents, the Cobbold Commission Report, the Report of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) and Malaysia Act 1963 that set out the assurances, undertakings and recommendations that the Federal Government needs to fulfill and abide to.

The first document is the Cobbold Commission Report in 1962, where its term of reference is to ascertain the views of the people in North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak towards the proposal to create the Federation of Malaysia and also in light of their assessment of these views to make recommendations. The second document is the Report of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC), 1962 where it was tasked to work out the future constitutional arrangements, including the safeguards for the special interests of North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak based on the recommendations made in the Cobbold Commission Report. The safeguards includes religion freedom, education, taxation, judiciary and control of immigration.