Sabahans are paying the price for their biggest ‘mistake’ in inviting Umno to set its foot in Sabah as the race and religion politics of Umno, and its version of Islam are not suitable for Sabah, said Star Sabah chief Jeffrey Kitingan.

 

“Umno should not have a place in Sabah politics as it has meddled, manipulated and damaged Sabah. Many non ‘fixed deposit’ voters in Sabah do not want Umno in Sabah too,” he said when commenting on the remark made by Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem that there was no place for Umno in Sarawak's politics.

 

Adenan ( left ) yesterday told newsmen that under his watch, Umno would not be allowed into the state. “There is no place for Umno in the state's politics,” he had said.

 

 In a statement today, Kitingan, who is the Bingkor state assemblyperson, said that Adenan was spot on in saying that the politics of Umno was unsuitable for Sarawak.

 

 Similarly, the Umno’s politics had caused disharmony and its ‘divide and rule’ politics had fragmented Sabah society, he alleged.

 

Former chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud was right in advising his successor (Adenan) to keep Umno and its brand of racially divisive politics out of Sarawak and standing tough defending Sarawak’s interests, he said, pointing out that his successor also appeared to be doing a fine job keeping Umno out.

Sabah and Sarawak, he said, were as far different from Malaya as the South China Sea that geographically separated them and culturally and ethnically they are not connected with Malayans.

 

“For its own political game and to remain in power, Umno has irreparably damaged Sabah with Project IC and the dubious issuance of ICs and MyKads to foreigners and entering them into the electoral rolls. 

 

“Now, Umno has been trying to make Borneons as ‘rumpun Melayu’ while playing the race and religion game with Umno's version of Islam. In reality, a Borneo Melayu will not be treated equally as a Malayan Malay, much less a Borneo non-Muslim bumiputera,” Kitingan said.

 

'Leave Sarawak to Sarawakians'

As it was said that Sarawak should best be left to Sarawakians “who understand it best”, Sabah should best be left to Sabahans “who understand it best” and not Sabahans under the control of Malayan leaders, he stressed.

 

He said that Umno in Sabah only “understands issues pertaining to the interest of Malays and Umno's version of Islam and their party interests” and did not bother about the feelings of the other component parties much less ordinary Sabahans.

 

“The power-sharing agreed in Sabah BN is a good point where all decisions and positions are dominated if not decided by Umno,” Kitingan said, citing there was no better example of Premier Najib Abdul Razak’s ( left ) own “1-Malaysia” slogan than Sabah and Sarawak where many families have members of different races and religions.

 

“Yet, it is being attacked and bombarded daily by race and religion extremism imported from Malaya,” he added.

 

The opposition leader pointed out that it was ridiculous and incomprehensible that Sarawakians and Sabahans were allowed to use the word ‘Allah’ while in the Borneo states, but were barred from doing so the minute they stepped on Malayan soil. 

 

On development of Sabah, Kitingan said the state was not only backward, but lagged 50 years behind Malaya.

 

“If the neglect in the yearly budgets continues for the next 50 years, Sabah will lag 100 years behind with no clean treated water, no sealed roads, no electrification and other basic amenities and no proper Pan Borneo Highway at least until 2022,” he lamented.