Sabah not confused over what autonomy means, Salleh tells Ku Li

2026-03-27 - 03:20

Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said political veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s remarks do not reflect the reality in Sabah. PETALING JAYA: Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak has panned political veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for describing “many in East Malaysia” as confusing autonomy with independence. Salleh said Tengku Razaleigh’s remarks did not reflect the reality in Sabah, and that Sabahans understood that the Bornean state is a member of the federation of Malaysia, as per the constitution. “Independence is not the issue being pursued. What is being raised is autonomy as envisaged under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), rights within the federation, including authority over administration, immigration, revenue, and development priorities. “Independence, by contrast, implies separation and full sovereignty. This is not the mainstream position in Sabah,” the Sabah Umno treasurer told FMT. Salleh said the core issue for Sabahans was that the state’s rights and safeguards agreed on in MA63 had not been fully or consistently fulfilled by the federal government. “Framing the debate as confusion risks overlooking the substance. Sabahans today are more informed, including a younger generation that understands history, constitutional arrangements, and the state’s position within the federation. “The call for autonomy should therefore be seen as a legitimate effort to uphold the original terms and spirit of Malaysia, not a move towards leaving it,” the former Usukan assemblyman added. In a recent interview with FMT, Tengku Razaleigh said Sabah and Sarawak must operate within the constitutional framework crafted by Malaysia’s founding fathers in 1963, amid rising tensions over federal authority and state rights. The former finance minister said many in East Malaysia appeared to confuse autonomy with independence, and that the autonomy they sought was already provided for in the constitution.