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Sabah and Sarawak are enablers of their own misfortune

LETTERS | I am writing in response to P Ramasamy’s column on June 5, “Is Malaysia a partnership of unequals?”.

Many people, especially those from Sarawak and Sabah (S&S), are still blind to the fact that substance will always prevail over form.

Go back to the situation in 1963. The Federation of Malaya was already an independent country with a seat in the United Nations.

Singapore was on the verge of falling to the left-wing as evidenced by two disastrous by-elections for the PAP in 1961. Sarawak and North Borneo became encumbrances to the effete lion called Great Britain after the financially-draining WWII.

Tunku was arm-twisted by Whitehall to take in the three states into an enlarged entity to be called Malaysia. The three states were to be just like the 11 that were already in. On the flag, another three stripes and another three points on the star.

In form, the various instruments may have seemed like a merger of “equals”.

However, look at the circumstances, especially the delay from August 31 to September 16, which was forced by the need to appease Sukarno with his charge of neo-colonialism and to allow the UN mission to complete its task of determining the will of the people of Sarawak and North Borneo.

In effect, due to the unforeseen 16-day delay, the status of S&S was as self-governing states joining an enlarged independent country.

Had they been incorporated into Malaysia on August 31, 1963 as planned, it would be regarded as the transformation of two British colonial possessions into states within an existing independent country.

Proponents of the "joining of equals" must be deaf and blind not to see the vast difference in development between S&S and the Federation.

Stephen Kalong Ningkan and Donald Stephens as equals of Tunku?

In fact, Sarawak and North Borneo had to ask for special protection against the carpet-baggers from Malaya and Singapore by retaining control over immigration; a power they continue to abuse and misuse for political reasons, to wit, keeping out opposition politicians when it was meant to allow local residents time to advance and compete for jobs with their more advanced countrymen from Malaya and Singapore.

In 1963, S&S were so backward that we used the term "ulu" on them and suddenly, they are so emboldened as to claim they are the equals of the Federation of Malaya. What balderdash!

Each year around August, we hear the same sad litany of S&S being equals to the Federation of Malaya in 1963.

When Sarawak was given "self-government" status in July 1963, it was symbolic to legitimise the state hierarchy, hastily put together, and did not, by any stretch of imagination, mean Sarawak was an independent country on par with the Federation of Malaya. North Borneo became “self-governing” on August 31, 1963.

By the way, Malaya became “self-governing” in 1955 following the first general election but did not become independent until August 31, 1957.

The federal government led by Umno has not exactly been kind nor fair to S&S, but who is at fault for continuing to prop up the Barisan regime that has been so unfair to S&S?

In fact, S&S are themselves the enablers of their own misfortune; by their support of the BN, they allow the federal regime to impose unfair terms like cabotage (can you imagine Hawaii being unable to receive goods from any place other the other states of USA?) and a grossly inadequate share of petroleum income.

Hawaii joined the USA on August 21, 1959, but do you see them clamouring for National Day to be other than the Fourth of July?

Yet, we have the annual demand for Sept 16 to be celebrated as Malaysia Day. What nonsense!

S&S, please stop your annual whining. If you do not like your treatment by the federal government, change it, but if you continue to prop up this regime, you forfeit your right to complain.

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