By CK Low
KOTA KINABALU:
1) The political parties and their leaders in Sabah and Sarawak not only need to go back to the drawing board. They need a massive revamp of their thinking and ideologies. Even on the agenda of autonomy, it is just not autonomy alone but things like own Sabah and Sarawak system within the Federal system. If you look at the Federation of Malaya Constitution and the Malaysia Agrt with the 18/20 Points Memorandum, very different federal systems was envisaged in 1963. It was just not a federation within a federation. Even in an "equal" federation" like in Canada, Quebec has its own education system and is French-speaking compared to the rest of Canada which is English-based. In USA, whatever Federal law that is passed, it is up to the individual 50 States to decide in their own legislative assembly whether to adopt that Federal law or not. In many instances, the laws are not adopted even if they are backed by their own parties at national level. In Australia, the individual States are on their own
without interference including whether to adopt any Federal law and at the Federal level, only matters within Federal level remains Federal level. Even without a federal system like in China the so-called "one country two systems" (actually more than two systems, places like Macau, Hong Kong, even Shanghai are administered differently. Taxation and revenue is an essential part of the individual States in the Federal systems in US, Canada and Australia and not lop-sided as in Malaysia. It will take a complete change of mindset of the current politicians in Sabah and Sarawak and perhaps a new crop and generation of younger leaders. So far, only Dr J and his group's Borneo Agenda is pushing for the tax and revenue angle. Where do the other political parties stand? Just being unhappy with Peninsular is not enough although its the initial first step.
2) Ketuanan Melayu should be totally banned in Sabah and Sarawak although there can be affirmative action to help the poor regardless of race. In fact, the State Governments should assist and protect the Natives. You know in KK, you go and see the taxis, they are Agus, Salim, Suriyanto and all sorts of Indonesian names. Where do the other locals stand? Sabah and Sarawak should revert back to education in English and have its own education system and revert back to the old administration system passed on from the British. Go round the world and one will find that the British system is still the best compared to French, Portuguese, Dutch or whatever and all over the world there are towering Sabahans and Sarawakians from the old system.
3) As long as ketuanan Melayu is practised in Sabah and Sarawak, the Chinese will remain as 5th class citizens after, Peninsular Malays, imported Malays, local Muslim bumis, non-Muslim Malays. The granting of PR to illegal immigrants in Sabah is a disgrace and an insult to Peninsular Malaysians (Malays included not just Chinese and Indians) for non-citizens are given PR as of right but the Peninsular Malaysians will have to get passes every 3 months to stay in Sabah. I know of a Peninsular Chinese businessman who invested in Sabah, contributed his taxes and dues, gave employment to Sabahans, etc who was only given his PR after 21 years residence in Sabah although his wife is a Sabahan.
4) The old USNO diehards should be commended for their actions and their love for Sabah compared to the other muslims in UMNO. As long as the proposed party is muslim based and muslim-led, the chances of approval by Putrajaya is nil as it will be a threat to UMNO Sabah. Someone should help to initiate public interest litigation and take ROS to court for failing to approve parties in accordance with Article 5 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees freedom of association (although the freedom is not absolute).
5) LDP is seeing the beginning of the end. In no time, LDP will be gone, kaput and don't be surprised in GE-13 some (if not all) of LDP's candidates will lose their seats with the help of backdoor help from UMNO Sabah unless the UMNO Sabah leader is someone else.
6) Sabah and Sarawak are already kingmakers in 2008. The Sabah and Sarawak BN leaders do not realize this and are all having their 40 winkles. If not for Sabah and Sarawak, the Federal Govt today would have been different and the lives of Malaysians would have been on a different path. Imagine RM5 billion to build a 100-storey building, RM36.6 billion to build a mass rapid transit system in Greater KL and RM9.55 billion for Sabah and Sarawak under the 10th Malaysia Plan. To add insult to injury, Sabah and Sarawak are termed "fixed deposits". When you put a fixed deposit in the bank, the fixed deposit does the work and earn you interest and gets nothing of the earnings. Maybe fixed deposit Sabah and Sarawak not so bad after all as they get some 5% oil royalties and some share of the development funds, if you get my drift. Ignorant and sleeping BN component leaders in Sabah and Sarawak!!! So far, I only see Dr J and his Borneo Agenda is championing the cause of Sabah and Sarawak as kingmakers. The others are not only not knowing coming or going but frozen in their places like frozen lame ducks frozen by the "Midas" touch of UMNO leaders, the police, MACC and others from Putrajaya. If Sabahans and Sarawakians and their local leaders still remain asleep during GE-13, Sabah and Sarawak will remain the stepsons of Putrajaya and the ordinary people will remain the poorest in Malaysia for another 47 years under BN/UMNO while their cronies will be out enjoying the world at their feet.
4) The old USNO diehards should be commended for their actions and their love for Sabah compared to the other muslims in UMNO. As long as the proposed party is muslim based and muslim-led, the chances of approval by Putrajaya is nil as it will be a threat to UMNO Sabah. Someone should help to initiate public interest litigation and take ROS to court for failing to approve parties in accordance with Article 5 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees freedom of association (although the freedom is not absolute).
5) LDP is seeing the beginning of the end. In no time, LDP will be gone, kaput and don't be surprised in GE-13 some (if not all) of LDP's candidates will lose their seats with the help of backdoor help from UMNO Sabah unless the UMNO Sabah leader is someone else.
6) Sabah and Sarawak are already kingmakers in 2008. The Sabah and Sarawak BN leaders do not realize this and are all having their 40 winkles. If not for Sabah and Sarawak, the Federal Govt today would have been different and the lives of Malaysians would have been on a different path. Imagine RM5 billion to build a 100-storey building, RM36.6 billion to build a mass rapid transit system in Greater KL and RM9.55 billion for Sabah and Sarawak under the 10th Malaysia Plan. To add insult to injury, Sabah and Sarawak are termed "fixed deposits". When you put a fixed deposit in the bank, the fixed deposit does the work and earn you interest and gets nothing of the earnings. Maybe fixed deposit Sabah and Sarawak not so bad after all as they get some 5% oil royalties and some share of the development funds, if you get my drift. Ignorant and sleeping BN component leaders in Sabah and Sarawak!!! So far, I only see Dr J and his Borneo Agenda is championing the cause of Sabah and Sarawak as kingmakers. The others are not only not knowing coming or going but frozen in their places like frozen lame ducks frozen by the "Midas" touch of UMNO leaders, the police, MACC and others from Putrajaya. If Sabahans and Sarawakians and their local leaders still remain asleep during GE-13, Sabah and Sarawak will remain the stepsons of Putrajaya and the ordinary people will remain the poorest in Malaysia for another 47 years under BN/UMNO while their cronies will be out enjoying the world at their feet.
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