20 POINT AGREEMENT

Point 1: Religion
While there was no objection to
Islam being the national religion
of Malaysia there should be no
State religion in Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah), and the
provisions relating to Islam in
the present Constitution of
Malaya should not apply to
Borneo.

Point 2: Language
* a. Malay should be the national
language of the Federation
* b. English should continue to
be used for a period of 10 years
after Malaysia Day
* c. English should be an official
language of Borneo (Sarawak &
Sabah) for all purposes, State or
Federal, without limitation of
time.

Point 3: Constitution
Whilst accepting that the
present Constitution of the
Federation of Malaya should
form the basis of the
Constitution of Malaysia, the
Constitution of Malaysia should
be a completely new document
drafted and agreed in the light
of a free association of states
and should not be a series of
amendments to a Constitution
drafted and agreed by different
states in totally different
circumstances. A new
Constitution for Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah) was of
course essential.

Point 4: Head of Federation
The Head of State in Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah) should not
be eligible for election as Head
of the Federation.

Point 5: Name of Federation
“Malaysia” but not “Melayu
Raya”

Point 6: Immigration
Control over immigration into
any part of Malaysia from
outside should rest with the
Central Government but entry
into Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)
should also require the approval
of the State Government. The
Federal Government should not
be able to veto the entry of
persons into Borneo (Sarawak &
Sabah) for State Government
purposes except on strictly
security grounds. Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah) should have
unfettered control over the
movements of persons other
than those in Federal
Government employ from other
parts of Malaysia Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah).

Point 7: Right of Secession
There should be no right to
secede from the Federation

Point 8: Borneanisation
Borneanisation of the public
service should proceed as
quickly as possible.

Point 9: British Officers
Every effort should be made to
encourage British Officers to
remain in the public service until
their places can be taken by
suitably qualified people from
Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)

Point 10: Citizenship
The recommendation in
paragraph 148(k) of the Report
of the Cobbold Commission
should govern the citizenship
rights in the Federation of
Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)
subject to the following
amendments:
* a) sub-paragraph (i) should
not contain the proviso as to
five years residence
* b) in order to tie up with our
law, sub-paragraph (ii)(a)
should read “7 out of 10
years” instead of “8 out of
10 years”
* c) sub-paragraph (iii) should
not contain any restriction tied
to the citizenship of parents – a
person born in Borneo (Sarawak
& Sabah) after Malaysia must be
federal citizen.

Point 11: Tariffs and Finance
Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)
should retain control of its own
finance, development and tariff,
and should have the right to
work up its own taxation and to
raise loans on its own credit.

Point 12: Special position of
indigenous races
In principle, the indigenous
races of Borneo (Sarawak &
Sabah) should enjoy special
rights analogous to those
enjoyed by Malays in Malaya, but
the present Malays’ formula in
this regard is not necessarily
applicable in Borneo(Sarawak &
Sabah).

Point 13: State Government
* a) the Prime Minister should
be elected by unofficial
members of Legislative Council
* b) There should be a proper
Ministerial system in Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah).

Point 14: Transitional period
This should be seven years and
during such period legislative
power must be left with the
State of Borneo (Sarawak &
Sabah) by the Constitution and
not be merely delegated to the
State Government by the Federal
Government.

Point 15: Education
The existing educational system
of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)
should be maintained and for
this reason it should be under
state control.

Point 16: Constitutional
safeguards
No amendment modification or
withdrawal of any special
safeguard granted to Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah) should be
made by the Central
Government without the
positive concurrence of the
Government of the State of
North Borneo
The power of amending the
Constitution of the State of
Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)
should belong exclusively to the
people in the state. (Note: The
United Party, The Democratic
Party and the Pasok Momogun
Party considered that a three-
fourth majority would be
required in order to effect any
amendment to the Federal and
State Constitutions whereas the
UNKO and USNO considered a
two-thirds majority would be
sufficient).

Point 17: Representation in
Federal Parliament
This should take account not
only of the population of
Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) but
also of its seize and
potentialities and in any case
should not be less than that of
Singapore.

Point 18: Name of Head of State
Yang di-Pertua Negara.

Point 19: Name of State
Sarawak or Sabah.

Point 20: Land, Forests, Local
Government, etc.
The provisions in the
Constitution of the Federation in
respect of the powers of the
National Land Council should not
apply in Borneo (Sarawak &
Sabah). Likewise, the National
Council for Local Government
should not apply in Borneo
(Sarawak & Sabah).