Unlike the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak have historically been more tolerant and diverse in their religious and secular practices.
By promoting inclusivity and pluralism, an East Malaysian bloc can mitigate the influence of extremist ideologies in politics and the civil service.
Another is the much more multiracial and polyglot communities in the two states and the absence of the traumatic May 13 racial chapter of history which transformed peninsula politics and society.
Its dark shadow is also repeatedly raised by peninsula politicians stifling the nation’s progress from becoming a psychologically and mentally liberated society.
To address the challenge of political transformation effectively...