MP SPEAKS I opine that the recent proposal by Sabah state legislative assembly speaker Salleh Said Keruak for the authorities to act on secession talk is premature and without thought.

 

I believe, contrary to what Salleh’s ( right ) assumption of secession, the cries of Sabahans are not on secession per se but rather anger resulting from a cumulative feeling of utter disappointment and disrespect that Sabah and Sabahans have endured since the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. 

 

Sabahans are now fast becoming aware of what we have lost as the equal partner in the founding of the promised Federation of Malaysia.

 

We have seen how our social demography have changed, how the distribution of wealth between the so-called remaining founding partners of the Federation of Malaysia is, from then to today.

 

We note the distorted history along with today’s unequal administration of the Federation of Malaysia, the ownership of our oil and gas assets, and hosts of serious problems like illegal immigrants becoming citizens.

 

There’s also the single historical date i.e. September 16, 1963 as Malaysia Day that some insist on celebrating, when it is obvious that this date has no bearing for North Borneo (its independence from the British colonial powers was on August 31, 1963, not 1957).

 

If we were to recall, Sabah used to have at least two or three of its own licensed banking and financial institutions. But all have been diminished into memories.

 

Now all banking and financial decisions right up to a simple loan approval, are left solely to those who sit 2.5 hours away from Sabah in West Malaysia with their corporate owners.

 

Even social mobility among our Sabah youths has changed dramatically. In the past, Sabah used to be able to cater for its citizens especially in providing satisfactory employment and a fruitful life.

 

It is the reverse today. Now irrespective whether they have tertiary education or not, Sabah’s youth have to make the choice of whether to leave for better pastures, especially in West Malaysia.

 

Why have Sabahans’ been treated this way, when we hear politicians from all divides claiming that Sabah is blessed with minerals, tourism potential, forests - all of God’s natural gifts?

 

'Sabah is different'

I even note that Salleh along with Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Masidi Manjun have taken the pains to explain that Umno Sabah is different from Umno West Malaysia.

 

Why would the two individuals take the pains to explain this matter?

 

That infers to me that they themselves know and are convinced that Sabah is different from West Malaysia as we are equal founding partners of the Federation of Malaysia and not a mere state like those in West Malaysia.

 

So it is baffling that someone, especially a Sabahan, can misunderstand what Sabahans in general are saying today.

 

I envision that Sabah must be different from its other founding partners and we must built our own unity as Sabahans which are made of different Sabah ethnicities.

 

I hope the call to describe any Sabahan by ethnicity, be it Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Bajau, Bisaya, Rungu, Brunei, as coming from ‘Rumpun Melayu’, along with the Chinese and Indians of Sabah, will stop once and for all.

 

Sabahans should all just be Sabahans of various races and ethnicity.

 

I believe also the call of Sabahans is not for secession per se but the case for decentralisation of administration and for a serious review of the Federation of Malaysia.

 

This call also includes an inquiry of whether the terms and conditions and as laid out in the annexes to the Malaysia Agreement 1963, have been complied with and whether it can be reinstated to correct its spirit and letter resulting in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.

 

With this, I pray that the Sabahans from all divides will continue to speak and fight for what has been promised in the formation of Malaysia so that our future and our rights will be reinstated and protected always.

 

DARELL LEIKING is PKR’s MP for Penampang .