Reject Malayan parties to reclaim rights like S'wak - Warisan rep

Summary

• A Warisan assemblyperson has urged Sabah voters to reject Malayan political parties to secure autonomy for the state, following a joint declaration of cooperation between Petronas and Sarawak’s Petros.

• Elopura rep Calvin Chong also criticises Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor over the Sabah mineral exploration licence scandal, in which the latter was implicated along with other assemblypersons.

Warisan assemblyperson Calvin Chong has urged Sabah voters to reject Malayan political parties in order to secure autonomous rights similar to Sarawak.

In a statement today, the Elopura representative referenced the declaration of cooperation between Petronas and Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros), congratulating Sarawak for successfully reclaiming its oil and gas rights, as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“The people of Sabah must be aware and vigilant in making decisions for the upcoming 17th state election, which is not far away.

“Say no to Malayan parties so that Sabah will become more prosperous and progressive,” Chong said in a statement.

He then criticised Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, questioning his achievements during his five-year tenure from 2020 to 2025 and what his Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government had “successfully claimed” from the federal government regarding MA63 matters.

Instead, Chong accused Hajiji of having a “historic achievement” in the creation of the biggest corruption scandal in Sabah’s history, involving alleged bribery in exchange for mineral exploration licences.

The scandal had implicated Hajiji himself, the state assembly speaker, and nine GRS assemblypersons.

No Malayan parties interfering in S’wak

“Imagine a group of 10 politicians addressed as ‘Yang Berhormat’ collectively conspiring to commit corruption activities. Malaysia has 13 states, yet Malaysians can only witness such shameful incidents occurring in Sabah.

“I believe the people of Sabah have identified the key factor that has significantly advanced Sarawak - there are no political parties from Malaya interfering with their administration and implementation.

“The Sarawak state government is led by local parties; they possess autonomous power to govern their state without influence from Malaya. Therefore, Malayan leaders have no opportunity to take advantage of Sarawak,” Chong added.

He also called on Sabahans to reject any local parties that collaborate with their Malayan counterparts in the upcoming Sabah polls.

“To date, only Warisan has confirmed it will contest the 17th state election without cooperating with any Malayan party. We are committed to the struggle and autonomous administration without any influence or interference from Malaya. Our house, we hold the keys,” he said.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg signed the declaration of cooperation concerning the two oil and gas firms at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, yesterday.

At a joint press conference, Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the agreement represented a step forward in national and state development through cooperation between Petronas and Petros.

Bernama reported Anwar as saying that the government aims to position Sarawak as the regional hub for the oil and gas industry in Asean.

Anwar added that the cooperation allows Petronas to continue its operations while recognising Petros as a key player in Sarawak.

“Both will work together to elevate Malaysia’s standing in the oil and gas sector,” he said.

Sabah scandal: Lawyer presses Azam on elusive forensic report

Sabah polls: BN will only work with like-minded parties, says Zahid

With or without Harapan, Hajiji wants GRS to head next Sabah govt

Don't make hasty decisions, Sabah PN warns PAS over GRS alliance

Will GRS U-turn and join Harapan-BN for state polls, Warisan rep asks

'Harapan-BN-GRS cooperation in Sabah polls needed for political stability'