KUCHING, April 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he has rebuked several opposition MPs for not understanding the history of Malaysia’s formation by questioning the approval of big allocations for Sabah and Sarawak.

He said they questioned approvals such as the Pan Borneo Highway mega project, which they claimed was a lot for the two Borneo states.

"This brings an unhealthy polemic of pitting Sabah and Sarawak against the Peninsula. I strongly reprimand this attitude — an attitude that does not understand the history of the founding of Malaysia and the history of MA63 (the Malaysia Agreement 1963).

"There are commitments which the federal government must make to the state governments. For example, the position of Sabah and Sarawak — they became independent later (than the rest of Malaysia) so there are areas where they are a bit behind in terms of infrastructure.

"It is our responsibility as a team — a union — to take action,” he said at the official opening of the Raia Hotel and Convention Centre Kuching here yesterday.

Anwar also said that justice is about putting things rightfully in their place, and the two states have more needs to catch up with the Peninsula.

Because of this, the prime minister said he had tasked Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof to lead the Cabinet committee to immediately implement the approval of sufficient allocations to complete the Pan Borneo Highway.

"For me, it is not something like favouring Sabah and Sarawak but for me, this is fulfilling trust and doing justice,” he stressed. — Borneo Post Online