Change We Must

With the possibility that Chinese Sarawakians, or at least 70% of Chinee Voters would reject SUPP, they are now singing a different tune. If only they had listened and not be subservient to Thief Minister, Abdul Taib, they would not be in such desperate situation.

The Chinese community should stand up and voice their needs, requests and grievances in order to be heard by the government.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said this would be more useful and effective than just whining as the government might not be aware of the real problems affecting the people.

“If you do not dare to talk about them how would the government know? The people should be more vocal and speak out loud if they want their needs and grievances to be heard. It will not serve the purpose if they just whine,” said Dr Chan.

Borneopost

The question remains, can they be trusted. We do not think so? Whose interest did they represent in the first place. Not the ordinary chinese Sarawakians.

Certainly not the Dayaks! We just wonder what those Bidayuh and Iban discards from Pesaka wing of PBB is doing in SUPP.

It is high time, they realise SUPP do not actually represent their interest.

To those Bidayuhs and Ibans, they should either join SNAP and Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak or to face the possibility of being rejected in the 10th Sarawak State Election.

As the days draw closer, SUPP is shouting at their top of their voices to be heard by all that they are representing the interest of Chinese “only“.

He should be voted out as soon as possible. We have not seen how much he has done for the good of his own community especially in recent times. But in the past three months, we have read in the main stream media, how he intimidate and blackmail the Dayak Community to continue supporting his UMNO-Barisan Nasional who have done little, except to enrich those who walk in the corridors of power.

Bidayuhs are no loss to Barisan Nasional if they decide to go for the opposition. This was the warning issued by a Sarawak Cabinet minister to the state’s second largest indigenous population.

Than what are Bidayuh’s waiting for? Just walk out. Resign from PBB, SUPP and SPDP and join the Pakatan fold. To the voters, get ready to show Manyin the broom if he ever step foot to campaign.

According to Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister Micheal Manyin, the loss of the six state and three parliamentary seats held by Bidayuhs would not affect BN in any way.

“Even if the BN loses all the six (Bidayuh) seats in the coming state elections, it will not affect the party because there are 71 state constituencies. These seats are not vital for BN to retain its power,” he said.

There are some 160,000 Sarawakian Bidayuhs living predominantly in the Lundu, Bau, Penrissenin Padawan, Siburan and Serian.

Manying’s stinging warning to the community was capped with the threat of ‘no development’ in these constituencies if BN loses.

“If Bidayuhs don’t support BN and the coalition loses the seats, then the whole community will lose out on the development. BN will not continue its work here,” he told villagers at Kampung Taee near here over the weekend.

The money do not belong to UMNO-PBB-Barisan Nasional or Michael Manyin. If that is the case, than all Bidayuh’s should stop paying taxes to the government or even bother to contribute to KWSP. Join my “Non Tax Paying Citizens Club”. Why should you pay taxes that support leaders and ministers like Michael Manyin?

He also urged the villagers not to be conned into believing tales spun by the opposition, especially the PKR.

He said PKR had been against the government’s move to carry out perimeter survey on Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands.

It is PBB-PRS-Sarawak Barisan Nasional who are against. For umpteen years, SNAP and Dayak NGOs have made calls to the authorities to have all NCR Land Surveyed. It is only after the recent visit to Long Lama by PM Najib that RM20 million was allocated to PBB-PRS-Sarawak Barisan Nasional to survey the NCR Land. With that, every-one starts talking and Alfred Jabu quickly added that only “Matured NCR Land” will be surveyed!

Can Michael Manyin now tell us what is “Matured NCR Land”?

Knowing that it is a stupid statement and he will be cornered with more controversy and that all NCR Lands are “Matured”, Deputy Thief Minister quickly followed through with only “NCR Land with Development Potential” will be surveyed.

Can Michael Manyin now explain what is classified as “Potential”.

Since the allocation of RM20 million which the State Government should have done umpteen years ago on their own initiative without waiting for allocation from PM Najib, a chorus of statements in the media have appeared and most are the usual intimidations and blackmail which people the likes of Michael Manyin are only good at.

Now what. Don’t come and tell me the press misquoted you! We know for a fact that they will not. Even if they are misquoted, it is because most of our Dayak Ministers can not even write a press statement of their own and pay thousands to media editors to write one for them.

All voters from the Dayak Community should be aware that, it is because of the imminent threat of losing power, that PM Najib and UMNO-PBB-Barisan Nasional extended the grant of RM20 million to acede to the request of leaders in SNAP, PBDS (among them Datuk Daniel Tajem, Lawyer Anthony Sujang) to survey NCR Land boundaries. It was never done on the initiative of our Ministers in PBB or Michael Manyin and his gang!

Manyin, who is also Tebedu assemblyman, alleged that PKR had insinuated that the perimeter survey on NCR land was being carried out for his personal benefit.

“We are carrying out perimeter survey on NCR land for the benefit of the people. How do I benefit from this exercise?

“If the people have land titles, they can then mortgage it and venture into businesses,” he said adding that he was aware that PKR was actively instigating the local Bidayuh communities into believing that BN was not serving them.

Free Malaysia Today

Is it not time now that the citizens of Sabah and Sarawak change the subservient politics which has characterised the way these two states have conducted themselves? To do that, we need active, strong and well coordinated and united Opposition political parties in Sabah and Sarawak to complement the strength of the Opposition parties in Peninsular. Until we have such a strong and united Opposition in Sabah and Sarawak, Federal power will continue to elude us.

How do you make yourself a cohesive political force that can alter the course of our nation’s history? How can you bring about the changes in local politics and assume power after many years of BN abuse? These are the challenges you are faced with but which I believe you can overcome. I am not an expert in local politics but will venture a few suggestions.

For umpteen years (well at least for the past 30 years, when i first voted at about the time when DAP set foot on Sarawak), Sarawakians especially in the Urban areas (most notably in Padungan) have been voting against Tun Abdul Rhman Yaakub and subsequently Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in State Elections. Meaning they are voicing their disatisfaction with the Nepotism, Collusion, Cronyism, Corruption and abuses by the Chief Executive via the ballot boxes. However, to ensure continuity in development funds and hoping to get some assistance as far as chinese education is concerned, Urban Sarawak Voters prefer to give their votes to Barisan Nasional. This is however not a fixed trend and Sarawakians tend to alternate between voting for the Opposition for State Seats and Barisan Nasional for Parliamentary Seats and vice versa. From this we can say “It is not only Melayu Muda Lupa, Sarawakians, especially the Urban Voters also Muda Lupa”. Like a “Yoyo” or “Roller Coaster”, they change their voting style when they discover the person they voted did not deliver and the experiment goes on till 2006.

In 2006 and in a rare show of gross disatisfaction, both seats (that is State and Parliament for the constituency of Padungan) went to the opposition. In that year, Sarawak also wrote the script for Tsunami 0308 when SUPP lost almost all Urban Seats they contested.

In short, Sarawakians are disgusted with how they are treated and the feeling is there is collusion between the Federal and State Government to marginalise Sarawakians and their inability to stop the plundering of the states wealth and vast natural resources. In fact it got much worst in the past 20 years and started with Tun Dr Mahathir’s reign. Well at least Padungan Voters decided in 2006, enough is enough.

The same can not be said of the rural voters. To them there is only know one government and that is the “Dacing”. However with regular activities by Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak, they are now more aware. Will this translate into votes? This is hard to tell. One thing is sure, they have endured much hardship since the formation of Malaysia and are beginning to know they have been short changed and resent Barisan Nasional. However after close to half a century of hardship, we have to understand their fear. To many any government, whether it is Pakatan Rakyat or “Dacing” is the same.

Deep down, we have a feeling, for them to feel and see the difference between a Pakatan Rakyat government and Barisan Nasional, they want to see something tangible. Mere talking through Ceramahs will not do. The scenario is not the same as West Malaysia. In West Malaysia, Urban migration have ensured the rural voters are updated regularly via phone conversations and the regular “Balik Kampungs”.

Firstly, the Dayaks who form the majority in Sarawak must really want change. They must feel in their veins that they no longer wish to endure the indignity and the economic hardship they continue to suffer under the rule of BN. They must recognise that they can play a bigger role, in fact a leadership role in the future of Sarawak. They can if they have the will to uplift the sordid conditions in which their people live. They must reject the politics of money where handouts are given each time the BN wants their vote. Take their money and reject them, like the people of Sibu did. They must want to rule and determine their own future and not leave their destiny in the hands of political warlords who are also proxies of Federal leaders. How can the Dayaks, the Chinese, the Melanaus and the Malays not see the need to work together for their common good; to stop the plunder of Native Customary Rights lands, the wastage and corruption as exemplified by the Bakun Dam project? There are educated and politically committed Dayaks and other bumiputras who should be able to galvanise a united force against BN, but they must do that now. We used to have Temenggong Jugah, Stephen Kalong Ningkan, and Tawi Sli and others as leaders but where are the Dayaks now?

Secondly, the Opposition groups in Sabah and Sarawak must learn to trust one another and to have a new political culture of consensus building. They must value on unity and accept ethnic diversity and have genuine interest to help the people. This means the politics of dominance by one group over another must be rejected. This means rich towkays must not be allowed to control the course of politics. If you have suffered by the dominance and abuse of Federal power and if you have suffered in the hands of authoritarian leaders, then you must not make the same mistake by selecting leaders who will do the same under a different name. You must learn to trust one another rather than resorting to the easy way out of cavorting with Federal leaders, or getting blessings of leaders in Kuala Lumpur. You cannot raise and speak for your people if you are afraid to speak and stand up for yourself.

Change is not about changing leaders. What matters is about changing to the right kind of leadership. We live in a complex multi ethnic and multi religious country. We live in a Malaysia today that has shown visible signs of being schizophrenic; racist, prejudiced and fascistic in its behaviour. We have to show a leadership that is different from BN, a leadership that will put a stop to this madness. a leadership that wants to change the course of the nation where we can and should treat all Malaysians as equals, where we practice real democracy, and where the rule of just laws are available to all citizens. We want a government that respect the rights and the dignity of its people.

Sabah and Sarawak now have the golden opportunity to restore political power in their own hands for the first time since 1963. It is meaningless to talk of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and to lament how unfairly you have been treated in the last 47 years unless you exercise political leverage at the federal level. The next election is one golden opportunity to work together in securing such leverage.

The question is how much does the Sabah and Sarawak leaders value this leverage? I am a Malaysian – not an East Malaysian or West Malaysian. To me, a backward Kelantan is as painful a sight as a Sabah and Sarawak left behind by other states. I want to see Sabah and Sarawak develop and grow into mature democracies and become economically developed states. I also believe only Sarawakians know what’s best for Sarawak, and only Sabahans know what’s good for Sabah. I do not subscribe to the view that Sabah and Sarawak should be subservient to Federal control other than in areas clearly stipulated in the Constitution. The spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 must be honoured and respected.

The State election is around the corner. You will have the golden opportunity to declare the message – WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH. Make this your rallying cry: Datuk Patinggi Taib and Datuk Panglima Musa Aman – WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH. Send them packing and usher in the new dawn. The choice is yours – whether you want to be making history by propagating change or whether you will be judged by history as those who were afraid to change.

Read full article @ Zaid Untuk Rakyat

Pakatan Rakyat wants to gain a foothold in Sarawak to “save the state from corrupted leaders”. It is gearing up for the fight in the coming state polls, confident that it can do better this time around.

Not wasting time, Pakatan will hold a one-day meeting next Thursday in Kuala Lumpur to draw up its battle plan to capture the Land of the Hornbills.

Said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution: “Leaders of Pakatan will meet and discuss only one agenda – the preparation for the coming Sarawak election.”

“We expect to discuss the list of candidates, seat allocation, manifesto, logistics, strategy and various other issues,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

He said he was satisfied with PKR election preparation, adding: “We are ready now to enter the fight.”

On seat allocation, Saifuddin said the overlapping of claims was only minimal and hoped the matter could be thrashed out at the Kuala Lumpur meeting.

“Unlike previous elections, this coming election will see one-to-one fight against the Barisan Nasional in the 71 constituencies,” he said.

“We are confident we can do better this time,” he said.

PKR’s head of strategy bureau, Tian Chua, who was present, said the people of Sarawak should vote wisely because their choice was important.

“Pakatan Rakyat is coming to Sarawak not only to try gain a foothold, but also to save the state from corrupted leaders who have been in power for so long,” he said.

“Now the BN is in crisis… this is the best time for the people of Sarawak to make a change.

“Pakatan is here to provide a vehicle for people of Sarawak who want to see change in the state,” he stressed.

On the selection of candidates, Chua said that the criteria of selection would be stringent as they did not want ‘political frogs”.

“Only loyal and winnable candidates will be selected,” he added.

Joseph Tawie @ Free Malaysia Today

Don’t be left out, Be Part of The Change Sweeping Sarawak and West Malaysia.

If this there is any sustance in this article, what about the other Dayak Community, especially the urban Bidayuh and Ibans?

Via SUPP, it is high time the Ibans and Bidayuhs realise that all this years they are being made use of by our evil and corrupt Thief Minister and the two Deputy Thief Ministers to remain in power. With it they feel they have the Dayak Community’s mandate to plundered Sarawak’s and the State’s wealth, especially the natural resources.

YB Dominique and Sdr Zulhaidah have said it correctly here (How graft, racial-religious politicking “KILLED” Malaysia’s economy) and Politics of Development – Saya pun kena tipu!

Winds of political change blow through Sarawak jungles

An opposition party poster hanging in a Penan tribal chieftain’s wooden longhouse deep in Sarawak’s rainforests signals winds of political change blowing across Borneo island.

The Penan are among the most disadvantaged of Malaysia’s indigenous people, and have for decades fought a one-sided war against the powerful logging and plantation firms that are obliterating their ancestral land.

But a political transformation, which threatens to unseat the coalition that has ruled for half a century, has put Sabah and Sarawak in a powerful position.

And the poster in the Penan longhouse, promoting the leaders of the Democratic Action Party – one of a trio that make up the opposition alliance – is the sort of thing that has the government worried.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak made an historic visit last month to the interior of Sarawak to visit the Penan and other “Orang Ulu” – tribal groups known as “River People” as their homelands are located along remote waterways.

The premier, who arrived with senior ministers by helicopter in the village of Long Banga, made multi-million-dollar pledges to fund projects including a long-overdue road, a mini dam and a mobile medical clinic.

He also announced a plan to survey native lands, a move he said would give indigenous people ownership of their ancestral territory – the holy grail they have been campaigning for in vain.

“The response is great. It was very spontaneous. The promises will be delivered,” an ebullient Najib said before flying out of the jungle.

Vote for the opposition

Women and Community minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil also flew into Sarawak last month, to take charge of an investigation into allegations of rampant sexual abuse and rape of Penan women at the hands of logging workers.

“The Penan community should know that now they have someone to champion their cause and that is us,” she said.

But despite the flurry of high-level attention, and promises of action on issues critical to the future of the Penan, there is widespread scepticism over the intentions of the BN government.

After 2008 elections that transformed Malaysia’s political scene by handing the opposition alliance a third of parliamentary seats, the BN must retain Sabah and Sarawak in the next elections if it wants to stay in power.

A long journey by boat and car into Sarawak’s rugged interior found that, far from being hopeful that the new focus on Borneo will finally aid their cause, there is a strong sense of frustration and betrayal among the Penan.

Many feel cheated by promises made and broken in the past half-century since independence, and are feeling emboldened to vote against the government for the first time in elections that could come later this year.

“I will advise my villagers to vote for the opposition,” Abeng Jek, a 67-year-old former village headman told AFP as other Penan nodded their heads in agreement.

“All this while I have voted Barisan Nasional. We will no longer accept promises. We want change,” he said as children peeped out of their longhouse rooms to hear the elder’s frustration.

“Twenty years ago I asked for a rice machine, new zinc for the roof and concrete pavement in front of the longhouse. They said: yes, yes. I voted the ruling party. Now my stomach is empty,” he said.

‘PM not in charge, Taib is’
There are at least 10,000 Penan in Sarawak, but their way of life is under threat from extensive logging of their traditional hunting grounds, as well as the spread of palm oil and timber plantations.

The tribespeople, armed with spears and blowpipes, continue to set up blockades to stop powerful companies from wiping out the remnants of their ancestral land, but often meet with a violent response.

The plight of the Penan people was made famous in the 1990s by environmental activist Bruno Manser, who campaigned to protect their way of life and fend off the loggers, before he vanished in 2000 amid suspicion of foul play.

Lukas Straumann, director of the Bruno Manser Fund which campaigns for the people of the rainforests, is pessimistic that the new focus on the region will benefit the Penan or other indigenous tribes.

He said that Najib was not able to deliver the critical promise of land reform, which lies in the hands of long-serving Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

“The problem is, the prime minister is not in charge. Taib is in charge,” he said. “So we do not believe they will give over the land unless there is a change in government or unless they are forced to do so by the courts.”

Further along the Baram river in the village of Long Lamai, some Penan complained that while Najib came with new promises of dams and roads, earlier pledges for drains and home repairs had not yet been fulfilled.

“The trust has been damaged. Look, our longhouses are falling apart. They promised a drain but it has not been built,” said 50-year-old Richard Jengan. “Now I will vote anyone who can help us.”

Cheated by hollow words
Bulan Teko, 40, said she and many others were disappointed that no action has been taken against the perpetrators of the rape epidemic, including loggers who preyed on girls forced to seek lifts to reach far-flung schools.

“Now the women and children are afraid to venture out alone,” she said, adding that it had added to long-standing hardships caused by deforestation.

“Logging has polluted our rivers, the only source of clean water and we continue to live in darkness at night,” she said.

“Our children read with oil lamps. And when we have no money to buy fuel, we live in darkness.”

Daud Sedin, a 35-year-old Penan who walked five hours through the jungle from neighbouring Data Bila village to meet Najib at Long Banga said he desperately hoped the prime minister would resolve the land issue.

“Logging companies encroach our land – cutting down our trees and running over our dogs. We are frustrated. We feel cheated by the government’s hollow words,” he said.

“All the Orang Ulu, especially the young, are talking about voting for the opposition.”

James Chin, political science professor at the Monash University campus in Kuala Lumpur, rubbished the prime minister’s initiative as a “pre-election ploy to win native votes.”

But he is not convinced that their grievances will overcome the vote-buying that is a staple part of elections in Sarawak, perpetuating the dominance of powerful, cashed-up ruling parties.

“Come polls, the natives will be swayed to vote the ruling party via vote buying. Remember they are poor, money will cool their frustrations,” said Chin. - AFP

This article is taken from Malaysiankini

FORMER Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Wong Kim Min, 88, is still haunted by the fears that the Ibans expressed in 1962/63 over the formation of Malaysia. They had their suspicions of the Malayans and worried that Britain, the departing colonial power, would let them down.

The veteran politician first realised this when the legendary Iban Temenggong (paramount chief) Jugah repeated more than once in his native language:

“Anang Malaysia sebaka tebu, manis di pohon, tawal di hujung.”

(Malaysia should not be like the sugar cane, sweet at the head and getting less and less sweet towards the end.)

“His misgivings were shared by many of the other Sarawak leaders as well,” said Wong in a paper to 500-odd participants at a closed door forum, “Formation of Malaysia, a Promise Re-visited and the Way Forward”, in Kota Kinabalu over the weekend. The forum was a curtain-raiser to the first official celebration of Malaysia Day on Sept 16.

Now, nearly 47 years after the formation of Malaysia, Wong still can’t get Jugah’s prophetic words out of his head. It’s like an old musical theme that keeps playing over and over again in his head.

However, there had also been moments of regret earlier for Wong, brought about after Sabah shot down a Sarawak proposal that they federate together with Brunei. This was in the late 1950s as the people of Sarawak quietly explored the various avenues whereby they could be independent. There were dialogues unofficially on the proposal between Sabah and Sarawak for a federation in Borneo.

The Sabahans were not keen, continued Wong, since Sarawak was wrestling with an armed insurrection formented by the outlawed communist movement. The Sabahans told their counterparts in Sarawak frankly that they did not wish to get involved in helping tackle the insurrection since they did not have similar problems.

Also, Sarawak was not a rich state in the late 1950s and seemed to have low economic potential.

“Our 47th year of independence within Malaysia would be an occasion to remind ourselves as to why and how Malaysia came about,” said Wong. “It is also appropriate for us to remember the saying that when one drinks the water from a stream, one must not forget the source from which the water flows.”

This is particularly true of the younger generation, urged Wong, especially those in their mid-fifties and below, who were then too young when Malaysia was formed to grasp and understand the implications.

“But what all Malaysians here must know and understand is that we (Sarawak) did not enter Malaysia, we formed Malaysia together with Sabah, Singapore and Malaya.” …. Baru read from Wong’s paper to thunderous applause from the audience.

Giving personal glimpses into the formation of Malaysia, Wong recalled that he was in London in 1960 on a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) meeting, representing Sarawak, when he was invited to the British Foreign Office for a meeting. Here, they wanted to know his views on the possible formation of a federation of Malaya, Singapore and the British territories in Borneo. He was taken aback but remembers being non-committal.

“In 1961, I was handed a telegram from Donald Stephens at Kuala Baram inviting me to Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) for a meeting with Tunku Abdul Rahman to discuss his offer of a federation,” said Wong. “It was called the Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee (MSCC) meeting.”

Briefly, three more meetings of the MSCC followed in Kuching, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and endorsed the idea of Malaysia. The Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) was then formed to discuss and draft the terms and conditions of the Malaysian Constitution. It was based on the Malayan Constitution but with additional safeguards for Sarawak (and Sabah).

“Sarawak negotiators were adamant that the special autonomy reserved for Sarawak must be entrenched in the Agreement (Malaysia) as well as the Constitution,” said Wong. “Otherwise, the idea of Malaysia would be a non-starter.”

Even so, the job of selling Malaysia in Sarawak was a tough one. There was skepticism and doubts of sincerity over the state’s long-term position in the new federation.

The rest is even more history.

But what is significant about Wong’s paper is that he fails to mention the UN referendum in 1963 which found that only a third of the people in Sabah and Sarawak respectively accepted the idea of Malaysia. The rest, in both states, were equally divided between those who opposed the new federation and those who wanted independence first.

“I have often been asked, even today, by people particularly the younger generation whether I had any reservations or regrets on forming Malaysia,” confessed Wong. “I am being asked whether I would have acted differently if given the choice again.”

That would be the verdict of history on Wong and men of his generation. Personally, he feels that it was really a Hobson’s choice for Sarawak in 1963.

The fact that the younger generation is asking Wong questions today is more than telling.

Deep in the kampungs in any part of Sabah and Sarawak, the perennial question among the younger generation is why their states took that fateful decision to help bring about the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.

That will be the question asked again this Sept 16 as the nation celebrates Malaysia Day officially for the first time in 47 years, no doubt thanks to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who is flogging his 1Malaysia theme.

Malaysian Mirror

By Luke Rintod

The Malaysia Project envisaged by the former premier Tunku Abdul Rahman and Borneo leaders, Donald Stephens and Temenggong Jugah 47 years ago is a failure, according to a wide spectrum of the intelligentsia.

In a series of papers submitted at a one-day forum on the ‘Formation of Malaysia Revisited and The Way Forward’, presenters concluded that what had been conceived by the trio and what eventually transpired in the intervening years was similar to a pendulum swing.

All the five papers presented and deliberated at Saturday’s landmark forum to discuss the birth of the Federation of Malaysia and the effects on Sabah and Sarawak 40 years after noted how state rights had taken a backseat to political convenience.

Kanul Gindol, secretary-general of CigMa, said the forum managed to achieve an intellectual discussion of the pros and cons of the formation of Malaysia.

“It was lively (discussion) and managed to attract people from all walks of life including past and present public figures like Ayub Aman, an elder brother of Sabah Chief Minister, Amirkahar Tun Mustapha, PKR leaders like Christina Liew and Baru Bian, retired civil servants, academicians, lawyers, teachers, politicians, students and laymen,” he said.

Kitingan, the younger brother of Sabah deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan, in his paper highlighted facts and ‘secrets’, notably how the federal powers had subdued the state through many manoeuvres since 1963, and how Sabah leaders were duped into believing in whatever Peninsular Malaysian leaders pledged and promised them.

Using figures, he demonstrated how the Kadazandusuns, who were once the majority and dominant in North Borneo/Sabah were being disenfranchised.

He spoke about the emergence of a new group called Melayu in Sabah which today stands at more than 300,000 but was only 18,000 in 1970?s.

Split Sabah into five state
The Harvard graduate also cited how Malayan subsequent leaders managed to tilt the equation of power to the peninsula ever since the inception of the federation in 1963.

“In 1963, we had a 50-50 equation in Parliament representation vis-a-vis the 11-states in Malaya and the group of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore.

“When Singapore left or was kicked-out of the federation in 1965, their 15 seats should have been distributed to Sabah and Sarawak but what happen was Malaya took seven seats and the remaining eight were distributed to the Borneo states.

“Then in 1972/73, 73 new Parliament constituencies were created, and all of them were in Malaya. From here on, Sabah and Sarawak lost its power to block any passing of laws in Parliament, so peninsular leaders can do whatever they want to the federation,” he said.

Kitingan, a PKR vice president, in his paper proposed that Sabah be split into five states and Sarawak into seven and that Parliament representation in the Borneo states should be balanced with that in the peninsular.

He noted that the Cobbold Commission Report had forewarned that: “If the idea of Malaysia was a ‘take over’ of Sabah and Sarawak and the submersion of the individualities of Sabah/Sarawak, Malaysia would not be acceptable or successful.”

Scepticism of sincerity
Veteran Malaysian leader and founding father of the Sarawak National Party or SNAP, James Wong, whose paper was presented by lawyer and the Sarawak PKR Head Baru Bian, said that selling the idea of Malaysia had not been easy.

He revealed the prevailing scepticism of sincerity during the period and these were typified by Temenggong Jugah when he said in Iban: “Anang Malaysia sebaka tebu, manis di pohon, tawal diujung” which literally means ‘Malaysia should not be like the sugar cane, sweet at the head and getting less and less sweet towards the end’.

It was a conjecture that proved true as Sabah and Sarawak now sit at the bottom list of many progress indices in Malaysia, he said.

Wong pointed out that initially in the 1950s there was already an effort to federate North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei but North Borneo leaders then were reluctant because Sarawak had communist threats unlike North Borneo.

In the soon to follow Cobbold Commission Report, the merger concept of the Federation of Malaysia detailed that the central government would be strong and provide security but local aspirations and needs would also have to be recognised and safeguarded.

The report clearly states that: “It is a necessary condition that, from the outset, Malaysia should be regarded by all concerned, as an association of partners, combined in the common interest to create a new nation but retaining their own individualities,” Wong pointed out.

Karim Ghani, who was instrumental in bringing in Umno to Sabah, in his paper reminded that Sabahans can no longer count on taking control of their state without the aid of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who reside there.

Shouts of tipu
However the discussion became more heated when Ayub Aman, the elder brother of Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman claimed that all Malaysians were treated equally in response to John Brian of the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) who complained of marginalisation in opportunities.

The ageing former Culture, Youth and Sports Minister during Berjaya party era was visibly shocked and appeared to be in a daze after his remarks were met with boos and shouts of “tipu” and “no same treatment to Kadazandusuns and Dayaks”.

Ayub also blamed complaints of rampant corruption in Sabah politics as the outcome of a corrupt rakyat.

SLA’s S Venugopal also presented a paper detailing breaches in the political equation and merger partnership.

The one-day forum was jointly organised by two KK-based NGOs – the Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF) and CigMa or Common Interest Group Malaysia.

The Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties have pledged to ensure straight fights with Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming state election, which must be called by July next year.

The coalition of four parties — DAP, PAS, PKR and local opposition party SNAP — made the decision at the inaugural meeting of its leadership council last night.

Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng told The Malaysian Insider that the state PR is also aiming to take over the government led by Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who has been in power for almost three decades.

“The leadership council also decided to topple BN in the state election, so we are aiming for at least 50 per cent of the seats,” said Wong.

“At the very least we must deny the two-thirds majority,” he added.

The Malaysian Insider

Confusion over Johnichal Rayong’s membership in Sarawak United People’s Party has somewhat been cleared when the party said that it has yet to accept his application.

“SUPP is keen on Rayong to represent the party in the Engkilili constituency in the coming state election but the acceptance of his membership is likely to split members into two camps.

“Rayong’s application needs to be discussed by the party central working committee at our next meeting,” said SUPP secretary general Sim Kheng Hui.

Sim was speaking to reporters after having lunch with about 20 members of SUPP’s Engkilili branch who came all the way from Engkilili to Kuching for a briefing by party leaders.

The delegation, led by its branch deputy chairman Nyambong Anak Maweng, pleaded with the party to accept Rayong if the party wanted to recapture the seat.

Also present at the lunch were SUPP president George Chan and other senior leaders.

“After listening to the views of the group, we are keen to have Rayong contesting the seat, but his application will have to be discussed first.

“Although he fought against us in the last election, he resigned from the Opposition and has always been friendly with Barisan leaders,” said Sim.

Free Malaysia Today

It is because as a chinese base party, the chinese voters have almost all deserted Sarawak Useless People’s Party!