Too many Malaysians have forgotten, or never learned, that Malaysia was formed, not joined. The Malaysia Agreement 1963 must now be taught, honoured, and lived if this federation is to remain one nation built on equality and respect.
It is astonishing and frankly disheartening that even after more than six decades of Malaysia’s formation, many Malaysians, especially those in Malaya, remained ignorant or indifferent to the true meaning and spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Some do not even know what MA63 is, while others, including politicians, corporate figures, even academics, pretend it is irrelevant, obsolete, or inconvenient. Yet, this singular document is the foundation upon which our nation was built. Hello, without MA63, there would be no Malaysia, remember that!
It is therefore vital that we begin to educate, explain, and reframe the MA63 narrative; not as a historical footnote, but as a living agreement that still defines Malaysia’s political, economic, and constitutional balance today.
The failure to understand MA63 has led to decades of misperception, lopsided policies, and at times, condescending attitudes from Putrajaya towards Sarawak and Sabah. To many in Malaya, the two Borneo regions are merely “states” like Perak or Johor. To Sarawakians and Sabahans, however, this ignorance strikes at the very core of our dignity and identity.
Let it be stated plainly and unequivocally: Sarawak and Sabah did not “join” Malaysia. We were not junior partners who “entered” an existing country. Together with Malaya and Singapore (which left in 1965), Sarawak and Sabah helped FORM Malaysia. That is the historical and legal truth.
MA63 was not an annexation document, it was an international agreement registered with the United Nations, negotiated among four equal partners: the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore. This agreement laid down the conditions, safeguards, and assurances under which the Borneo territories agreed to help establish a new federation called Malaysia.
Those 18 points for Sarawak and 20 points for Sabah were not mere suggestions, they were solemn guarantees meant to preserve autonomy, identity, and rights within the federation.
And yet, over time, those guarantees have been eroded, diluted, or ignored. The centralisation of powers, particularly after the 1970s, turned what was supposed to be a partnership of equals into a unitary, Malaya-dominated federation. Education, health, finance, and the civil service became increasingly controlled from Putrajaya, leaving Sarawak and Sabah dependent on federal decisions even in areas once reserved for local authority.
The recent decades of awakening, culminating in Sarawak’s strong assertion of rights under Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, are therefore not acts of rebellion or defiance, but rather a legitimate reclaiming of what was promised under MA63.
Among the most crucial points in the MA63 framework are those relating to resources, education, and fiscal autonomy. Sarawak’s right over its own natural resources, including oil, gas, and land, was supposed to be protected. Instead, through federal laws such as the Petroleum Development Act 1974, those rights were effectively taken away for decades.
Only recently, after persistent negotiation and legal assertion, has Sarawak re-established ownership and control through the 2018 and 2022 settlements. The recognition of Sarawak’s constitutional authority over its oil and gas is a victory not just for the state, but for the sanctity of the MA63 itself.
Similarly, education was meant to reflect local needs, cultural diversity, and the unique identity of Sarawak and Sabah. Yet, education became the most centralised institution in the country, tightly controlled by Putrajaya. The erosion of English-medium instruction, the lack of Sarawakian content in history syllabi, and the general ignorance of Borneo’s role in Malaysia’s creation are all symptoms of this over-centralisation.
How can we expect the youth in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, or Ipoh to understand MA63 when their schoolbooks barely mention it? How can we expect national unity when millions of Malaysians are taught a distorted version of their own country’s formation?
This is why it is high time, actually long overdue, for MA63 to be taught as a formal subject in schools and universities. If we are truly serious about Malaysia Madani and national unity, then Putrajaya must first ensure that every Malaysian child, regardless of geography, learns the truth about how this nation was born.
It should not be left to social media debates or selective state seminars. MA63 must be institutionalised in the education system. Period!
Making MA63 a school subject will not only correct historical misunderstandings but also foster mutual respect. Malayans will come to realise that Sarawak and Sabah were never subsidiary, but important, to Malaysia’s creation. It will also instil pride among Sarawakians and Sabahans, especially the younger generation, who often hear more about “federal generosity” than about their own state’s contributions to national development.
Imagine a new generation of Malaysians who truly understand the meaning of partnership; not one region lording over another, but all bound together by mutual respect and fairness. That is the Malaysia envisioned by our forefathers in 1963.
Some may argue that education is a federal matter and therefore states like Sarawak and Sabah cannot unilaterally introduce such a syllabus. Technically, they are right. But morally, they are wrong. Sarawak has already shown the way by establishing its own Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development.
It is high time for that ministry, in consultation with Putrajaya, to take the lead in introducing MA63 as a subject, even as a pilot project, in Sarawakian schools. Sabah can follow suit. Let the two Borneo regions set the example and let Putrajaya observe the results.
If the pilot project succeeds, the subject can then be expanded nationwide. After all, Putrajaya has often said it supports greater autonomy. This would be a perfect opportunity to prove that those words mean something.
Of course, the proposal will face resistance. There will always be voices in Malaya who insist that the past is past, that MA63 is no longer relevant, that the nation should move forward. But one cannot move forward by ignoring history. The relationship between Malaya, Sarawak, and Sabah can only be strengthened by honesty and understanding. Not by denial!
We can argue till the cows and buffaloes come home, but the truth remains: too many in the federal establishment are still not serious, nor sincere, in fulfilling the obligations of MA63. They speak of unity but practise centralisation.
They praise Sarawak’s economic success but hesitate to devolve genuine administrative and fiscal power. Until that changes, Malaysia will remain a federation in name, not in spirit.
Teaching MA63 is, therefore, not merely an academic exercise. It is a moral imperative. It forces Malaysians to confront uncomfortable questions: Why was MA63 signed? What were its promises? Who broke them? What must be done to restore fairness?
Once the public understands the answers, the pressure on policymakers to honour the agreement will become irresistible. Ignorance benefits only those who wish to maintain the status quo. Knowledge, on the other hand, empowers citizens to demand justice.
In Sarawak, there is already a growing movement to translate the spirit of MA63 into tangible reforms; from the establishment of the Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Fund, to taking over power grids, ports, and education responsibilities. These are not acts of separation but of self-assertion, precisely what the framers of MA63 envisaged when they inserted autonomy clauses into the document.
Sarawak’s leadership under Abang Johari has rightly stressed that the state seeks partnership, not confrontation. The same spirit must be reciprocated in Putrajaya.
Perhaps it is time for the Federal and State governments to jointly sponsor a national MA63 awareness campaign, a structured, year-long initiative involving schools, media, and community organisations. It could include exhibitions, documentaries, travelling roadshows, and public lectures.
Universities could offer elective courses on MA63, constitutional federalism, and East Malaysian development. Such a campaign would not only enlighten but also heal the growing emotional gap between the two halves of the nation.
For too long, Sarawakians and Sabahans have been made to feel like afterthoughts, or ‘anak tiri’ if you may. Education can change that.
Ultimately, explaining MA63 to the masses is about restoring truth to the national conscience. It is not about reviving old grievances but about reaffirming a fair and equal partnership. Sarawak and Sabah’s demand for respect is not a demand for privilege; it is a call for Malaysia to live up to its founding promise.
Let us be clear: we do not want handouts or pity; we want recognition and honesty. Malaysia will only mature as a nation when every child, from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur, understands that this country was not “created” by one side for the benefit of the other, but co-created by equals who believed in a shared destiny.
Sixty-two years after its signing, MA63 remains our moral compass. It reminds us that unity without fairness is hollow, and federalism without trust is fragile. If we fail to teach its meaning to the next generation, we risk losing not just history, but our very identity as Malaysians.
That is why MA63 must no longer be confined to speeches or political manifestos. It must be taught, studied, lived, and honoured in classrooms, in governance, and in every Malaysian heart.-EDISI UKAS
