KOTA KINABALU: July 22, 2026 – The Sabah government has affirmed that the state’s autonomous immigration powers are not open to negotiation. These powers, enshrined under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), must be preserved.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said this stance was taken to ensure that the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) Act 2024 does not erode Sabah’s autonomous rights in immigration matters.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Isnain Haji Aliasnih, delivered the response on Tuesday while answering a question from Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau (Tamparuli) during the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting.
According to Isnain, the state government has conveyed its position through an official letter to the Prime Minister. The letter stresses that the Sabah state branch of the Malaysian Immigration Department must continue to control all points of entry into the state.
“The Sabah state government wishes to affirm that the immigration powers granted to Sabah under Article Five (V) of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 are non-negotiable,” he said.
He added that the state government also maintains the issuance of Not-To-Land (NTL) notices under the purview of the Sabah state Immigration Department.
The state government, he said, will continue to ensure that constitutional guarantees concerning Sabah’s status are upheld, stressing that the state’s special rights and autonomous immigration powers will not be eroded.
