The DAP has called on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to look into the implementation of the much neglected 20-point agreement for Sabah and Sarawak that was drawn up when the two states joined Malaya to form Malaysia 47 years ago.

teoh beng hock memorial night 160710 kit siang Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang ( left ) said Sabahans are disanointed with Najib - who visited Sabah yesterday for the nation’s first Malaysia Day celebration since 1963 - for arriving completely empty-handed.

“If not for the ‘People's power’ as represented by the emergence of Pakatan Rakyat, Malaysia Day on Sept 16 would not have been declared a national public holiday,” said Lim.

“That is why the people of Sabah and Sarawak do not want to see the declaration of Malaysia Day as a national public holiday as a mere political ploy, but want it to symbolised as a manifestation of the 20-point agreement (that had been agreed upon to show the) commitment of a new nation,” he said.

NONE Describing the agreement as a ‘magna carta’ for Sabah and Sarawak, Lim said the celebration should serve as a wake-up call for the federal government - after 47 years of union - to take seriously and address the feelings of alienation and frustration and the grievances faced by the people of the Borneo states.

The veteran DAP politician called on Najib to start implementing the agreement, for example, by setting targets to fill at least half of the 59 Federal departments in the two states with locals that was promised at the outset, adding that this should be fulfilled before the next Malaysia Day.

Lim asked what the BN government had to show after 47 years.

“I understand out of 59 federal departments, only five are headed by Sabahans.

"Over 80 percent of school heads in the education department in Sabah are filled by officers from Peninsular Malaysia, which is clearly against the spirit of the agreement,” he said.

Lim was delivering a speech at the Malam Pakatan Rakyat Beaufort organised by the party last night.

‘No concrete measures’

“Sabahans are extremely disappointed that Najib ( below ) has come to Sabah empty handed. For 47 years or for three generations, Sabahans and Sarawakians have not been given full and fair treatment as Malaysian citizens,” said Lim, adding that it was high time to recognise them as first class citizens.

NONE He ticked off the PM for not taking advantage of the celebrations to deliver concrete measures to make up for the nearly five decades of neglect.

He added that several Sabah newspapers had yesterday quoted Upko vice-president Maijol Mahap voicing that Sabahans are fed-up with the federal government’s failure to deliver on the agreement’s promises.

“Even after 47 years of being part of Malaysia, (Sabahans) are still waiting for the time when the 20-point agreement will be fully fulfilled,” Mahap was quoted as saying.

To address this gross neglect, Lim said he had proposed a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the agreement to assess its success and shortfalls and to see it fully implemented.

“Unfortunately, my proposal has been ignored and the hopes of Sabahans and Sarawakians ... were dashed,” said Lim.

‘Investigate five-decade misrule ’

Lim challenged the PM to make amends by tabling the full implementation of the agreement as the first item on the agenda at the next cabinet meeting.

sarawak energy board slide show hydropower project in sarawak 180608 bakun dam Alternatively Najib could propose the RCI by next Wednesday so that it can be discussed at the cabinet meeting.

He pointed out that another of the points of agreement, the provision of a “proper ministerial system for North Borneo” could also be a good place to start enforcing the agreement.

Lim said the lack of such a ministerial system has contributed to the deterioration of the Borneo states from being the richest, to one of the poorest in the Federation.

He added that any RCI should conduct a comprehensive investigation into “nearly five decades of misrule, corruption and gross abuse of power”.