Territorial Sea Act is a no-go in Sabah, says Kitingan

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 By Olivia Miwil - April 13, 2021 @ 7:02pm

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, in referring to the Territorial Sea Act 2012, said the act was unconstitutional as it violated Article 1(3) of the Federal Constitution which states that the territories of each state are territories they held prior to the establishment of Malaysia. - NSTP/MOHD ADAM ARININ

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, in referring to the Territorial Sea Act 2012, said the act was unconstitutional as it violated Article 1(3) of the Federal Constitution which states that the territories of each state are territories they held prior to the establishment of Malaysia. - NSTP/MOHD ADAM ARININ

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government will continue to oppose any attempt which limits Sabah's maritime boundaries to three nautical miles.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, in referring to the Territorial Sea Act 2012, said the act was unconstitutional as it violated Article 1(3) of the Federal Constitution which states that the territories of each state are territories they held prior to the establishment of Malaysia.

For the record, he said, the State Assembly has never assented to the application of the act here in Sabah.

"Changing the boundaries of Sabah needs a majority vote in the assembly. Except for the period when Labuan was given away and made a federal territory in 1984, we have never changed our boundaries.

"Losing territory is a heart-breaking experience for any independent nation. Changing the boundaries without our consent is just as painful as losing our territories and trust me, the people will be furious," he said in a statement here.

Kitingan, who attended a briefing on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) chaired by the chief minister yesterday, said the federal government should not insist on extending the act across the South China Sea to Sabah and Sarawak as it would never be agreed upon.

He added that it was illogical to argue that since the act is enforced in Peninsular Malaysia, it should therefore be enforced across the federation, including Sabah and Sarawak.

"We are separate regions. London does not go to Scotland and seize their territories at their whims and fancies. The same principle holds for this federation.

"While we are on the subject, I'd like to bring up the fact that the federal government illegally surrendered Blocks L & M within Sabah boundaries in 2008 to Brunei. We want them to be recovered as well," he said

The issue on the Territorial Sea Act 2012 is one of the few legal issues which remain unresolved, including Sabah's oil and gas resources despite several rounds of meetings since 2017.



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