No More Empty Talk, Restore Equal Partnership to Save Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu:     “Malayan leaders, both from the BN government and the Pakatan opposition, should climb down from their high horses and stop the empty and hollow words to sweet talk Sabahans and Sarawakians on the future of Malaysia.  The time has come for all parties particularly the federal government to rectify past mistakes on the formation of Malaysia and save Malaysia before it is too late from saving it from breaking up” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in his speech at Batu Sumpah, Keningau, on Malaysia Day, where the ceremony was being prevented from being performed by the police authorities.

Reading the statements of the various Malayan leaders including from PKR, DAP, MCA and Gerakan, it can be simplified that they acknowledge that Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 and that Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners to the Federation of Malaya.

More importantly, they are acknowledging that it is wrong that Sabah and Sarawak have been down-graded to be the equivalent 12th and 13th States of Malaya and that Sabah and Sarawak have been wronged and mis-treated by the federal government.  

Further, they also note that there is mal-apportionment of development and underdevelopment and unfair and unjust 5% return of Sabah and Sarawak’s oil and gas revenues.

The people of Sabah and Sarawak are unhappy and it has reached epic proportions.   The federal government cannot blame the people who have legitimate grievances.

Even the Deputy Home Minister from Sarawak has acknowledged that massive disparity and under-development is one of the many causes of the unhappiness.

Sabahans and Sarawakians are not asking for additional rights or taking any rights from the other States but seeking restoration of their rights which were promised or taken away.  

It is within the powers at the hands of the Malayan leaders, government and opposition, to take action and restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the Federation of Malaysia, as promised in the formation in 1962-1963.   They can start by converting their sweet talk into concrete proposals to make the necessary amendments to the Federal Constitution at the next Parliament sitting.

Sabahans and Sarawakians are asking nothing more and are not accepting nothing less.

The truth is that the support for the restoration of the rights of Sabah and Sarawak is growing and the people are getting restless and unhappier over time.  

“As I have said before, if the federal and Malayan leaders do not honour the basis of the formation of Malaysia then Sabah and Sarawak have every legal right not to continue with Malaysia.  It is not being separatist or secessionist” stressed Dr. Jeffrey.