Mahathir Should Rectify Umno/Malayan Hegemony - Dr. Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu:     “Ex-premier Mahathir should take the opportunity to redeem some of his past mistakes by rectifying the Umno hegemony over the other races and the Umno/Malayan hegemony over Sabah and Sarawak instead of insincere statements to hoodwink the people to continue the Umno stranglehold on the country”said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, commenting on the ex-premier’s statement to BN on adjustments in power-sharing.

In private, the other BN leaders will acknowledge that there is no real power-sharing in BN nowadays and everything is decided by Umno and imposed on the other BN components.

This can be clearly seen when the PM comes out of Umno Supreme Council meetings and announcing major government policies decided at the Umno Supreme Council meeting without even having to refer to the other BN parties.

It is a stark reality that the other BN components are powerless and have no say whatsoever.   They are there only for window dressing to fill up positions and to give a picture of credibility for the Umno regime.

If the situation is bad and reaching breaking-point for the BN components and other races in the Peninsula, it is worse in the case of the Borneo States particularly Sabah.

Whatever the pro-Umno, pro-federal government and other detractors may say, the reality is that Sabah is treated as a colony by Umno/Malaya masquerading as the federal government of Malaysia and aided by Sabah Umno/BN leaders.

The original intention of forming the federation of Malaysia was to be a political association between Malaya, Singapore and the 3 Borneo territories of North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak and Brunei.  Fortunately for Brunei, they pulled out at the last minute.   After 50 years, it is no longer a political association, more a racial, religious hegemony by Umno/Malaya.

The founding fathers of Malaysia from Sabah and Sarawak never intended for Sabah and Sarawak to be the 12thh and 13th States in Malaysia, equal to the likes of Perlis, Malacca or Selangor.

After having passed its 50 years mark, Malaysia today is not the federation of Malaysia that is supposed to be.   Although Malaysians share its uniqueness in diversity in race, religion and culture, the political reality is essentially Umno/Malay hegemony in the Peninsula and Umno/Malaya hegemony over Sabah and Sarawak.

There is no real power-sharing, just domination, domination and more domination by Umno.

The domination has gone to the extent of twisting the facts of history and the formation of Malaysia, even the age and independence of Malaysia.   Another form of domination is the use of the government agencies and security apparatus for their political purposes inching closer and closer to making Malaysia a police state.

Much of this domination happened during the time of Mahathir and the father of the present Prime Minister.    It has gotten worse during the tenure of the present Prime Minister despite his hollow and meaningless slogan “1-Malaysia” which has been rendered “1-Melayu” as evidenced at the recent Umno general assembly.

It is only appropriate for Mahathir to initiate the ending of this Umno/Malaya hegemony and for the present Prime Minister to implement it.   Only then will true peace and harmony prevail in the Peninsula and equal partnership prevail between Malaya and the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak.

Sabahans and Sarawakians share little in common with their cousins in the Peninsula other than being Malaysians due to the merger to form Malaysia in 1963.     If the hegemony cannot be ended, it may be better for the Malayan/Malaysian government to consider Sabah and Sarawak’s departure as what has been expounded time and again and openly by narrow-minded Umno and other Malay leaders.