September 16, 2012
KUCHING: The leaders of Pakatan Rakyat
signed the ‘Kuching Declaration’ in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebration
to pledge and promise to the nation and the people of Malaysia that when they
form the next government of Malaysia they will honour all its pledges and
promises.
The de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Anwar Ibrahim signed on behalf of his party,
while Lim Kit Siang, DAP National adviser signed on behalf of DAP and Haji Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS President signed on behalf of PAS.
Also affixing their signatures on the declaration were also state
leaders. Sarawak PKR Chief Baru Bian
signed on behalf of PKR, while Wong Ho Leng, Sarawak DAP Chairman signed on
behalf of DAP and Haji Adam Ahid, PAS Commissioner on behalf of his party.
The Declaration reads: “Lest we forget, and lest all the peoples of our
great Nation of Malaysia forget, we the undersigned do once again firmly,
resolutely and unequivocally pledge and promise before the whole Nation of
Malaysia as our witness, on this
historically day the 16th of September, 2012, in the City of
Kuching, and on behalf of our respective parties and Pakatan Rakyat will honour
all its pledges and promises to the peoples of Malaysia.
“We will honourably execute all the policies set forth in the Buku
Jingga so that Malaysia will once again be a great Nation, her peoples
prosperous, her future secure and peaceful, and her name celebrated by all the
nations of the world.
“We will honour the spirit of the Malaysia
Agreement of 1963 which our founding fathers put their hands to, and as a sign
of our deep commitment to the peoples of Sarawak and Sabah, consistent with
democratic principles and justice for all Malaysians, in particular:
ARTICLE ONE: EQUAL PARTNERS
“We will restore the
spirit of the Malaysia Agreement and the position of Sarawak and Sabah as equal
partners within Malaysia by restoring autonomy to Sarawak and Sabah within the
framework of the Federal Constitution.
ARTICLE TWO: FAIR REPRESENTATION
“We will increase
national integration between Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia through a
fair power-sharing arrangement that fully upholds the spirit of the Malaysia
Agreement.
ARTICLE THREE: CITIZENSHIP
“We will set up a Royal
Commission to solve the perennial national problem of illegal immigration and citizenship,
particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.
ARTICLE FOUR: RESTORATION OF
NATIVE CUSTOMARY RIGHTS OVER LAND
“We will endorse the
authority already vested in the State Laws of Sarawak and Sabah to set up Land
Commissions to investigate, resolve disputes, redress, survey and restore
Native Customary Rights over Native Customary Lands.
ARTICLE FIVE: COMPETENT SARAWAK
AND SABAH
“We will endorse the
appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens to head Government Departments in
their own respective States and by the powers vested in the State Secretaries
of both States as well as give first priority to the appointment of Sarawak and
Sabah citizens at Federal Government level functioning within Sarawak and
Sabah.
ARTICLE SIX: OIL JUSTICE
“We will raise the royalties
paid on petroleum and hydrocarbon resources to Sarawak and Sabah to 20% from
the present 5%.
ARTICLE SEVEN: EQUITABLE
DEVELOPMENT
“We will bring the level
of infrastructure development in Sarawak and Sabah up to par with Peninsular
Malaysia.
“We, the undersigned,
make this declaration as an incontrovertible contract between the Pakatan
Rakyat and the peoples of Malaysia, this historic day of 16th
September, 2012 on Malaysia Day, so that it may ring out
resoundingly from Malaysia’s high forest hills down to the open sea; so that
freedom may ever reign; and our peoples live in unity!”
