After 47 years, the natural wealth of Sabah and Sarawak has been neither fairly nor properly distributed, leaving much of its population in abject poverty.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng highlighted this stark reality in a message ahead of Malaysia Day tomorrow.

“On one hand, there are NONE those from the peninsula fighting to preserve and defend the ‘special rights’ of the bumiputeras, which they consider as their sovereign and incontestable rights,” said Lim.

“But at the same time, these so called ‘fighters’ have ignored the plight of Sabahans and Sarawakians deprived of the same rights, despite being sons and daughters of the soil.”    

Lim said the DAP believes in equal rights for all, although it also respects the provisions of the federal constitution protecting bumiputera rights.

“The federal government must not neglect Sabah and Sarawak. It must ensure that they enjoy the same opportunities in education, employment, investment and business as the peninsula states do,” he said.

He hit out at those who want to remove the special rights accorded to Sabah and Sarawak under the federation agreement.

“If we want Sabahans and Sarawakians to get rid of their parochial state-centric attitude, we in the peninsula too need to stop being parochial and stop looking down at them,” he added.

“When all sides agree to discard the notion of fighting only for one race or state and embrace a culture of openness to each other’s views, only then can we truly be the single entity of Malaysia.”

M mca 140910 chua soi lek CA president Dr Chua Soi Lek agreed with some of these views in his message, saying Malaysians must not be afraid to remind themselves of past mistakes.

One such mistake has been to ignore fellow-citizens in Sabah and Sarawak.

“It is this large group of Malaysians from the two states that we sometimes forget. It is not only the Malays, Chinese and Indians but our brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak who make up the voices of Malaysia,” said Chua.

He said the hopes and aspirations of all Malaysians must be given recognition and that no one should be left out.

Malaysians should not tolerate racism which is becoming more rampant, and which should be avoided at all costs, he said.

“No matter what, Malaysia must continue to stay intact as a nation which thrives on merit, hard work and togetherness,” he added.

‘Tackle problems immediately’

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said problems that stand in the way of unity can no longer be ignored.

“We can no longer sweep things under the carpet. Every problem must be tackled immediately,” Khalid said in his statement.

This requires transparency and accountability in reforming bureaucracy, and ensuring economic discipline toward better administration, so that the fruits of the economy can be shared fairly.

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“I believe that Malaysians are now mature enough to democratically evaluate and filter the issues which plague our society. With this newfound maturity we must engage peacefully in order to find solutions,” he added.

The federation of Malaysia was formed on Sept 16, 1963 to bring together Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak.

However, Singapore pulled out of the grouping two years later, citing political differences.