Sabah-Federal Ties Should Be Partnership, Not Confrontation

Former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Said Keruak has called for a collaborative approach to state-federal relations, rejecting the notion that advocacy for constitutional safeguards amounts to separatism.

Keruak emphasised that Sabah's efforts to preserve MA63—the constitutional agreement governing the state's entry into the Malaysian federation—and to maintain its guaranteed rights and autonomy should be viewed as strengthening rather than weakening the nation's federal structure.

The veteran politician's remarks come amid ongoing discussions about the balance between state sovereignty and federal authority in Malaysia's constitutional framework. MA63, signed in 1963, grants Sabah specific protections regarding immigration, taxation, and other matters of state interest.

Keruak's position reflects a broader sentiment among Sabah's political leadership that protecting the state's constitutional entitlements is compatible with loyalty to the Malaysian federation. The framing of such advocacy as partnership rather than opposition signals an attempt to reposition debates around state rights within a constructive national dialogue.

The statement underscores the delicate equilibrium Malaysia's federal system seeks to maintain between preserving state interests and sustaining national cohesion.