DAP’s Hypocrisy and Malaysia’s Ignorance Part I

Sabah Sifu

In politics, there is no such thing as a rulebook. The reality is just that, it is neither harsh nor kind. It is a lesson for anyone who cares to understand and learn. However, those in the comfort zone choose to be ignorant and those who really wants to understand perhaps has limited cognitive capacity to comprehend.

It is just such a shame to have a leader in the like of Lim Kit Siang whom I think has a shallow understanding of the political scene in our beautiful state of Sabah. I believe that by ignoring the realities of politics in Malaysia, we Malaysians will continue to be entrapped as a middle-income country and eventually everyone will lose. Who will gain then?

Before answering that question let me digress and talk about another important but related issue on what the DAP advisor said in Sabah about SAPP recently, which I believe did not touch on SAPP’s raw nerve.

However, to a Sabahan what was said reflects a blatant arrogance of those from Malaya. I make no apologies to over-generalize and include all orang Malaya and not just the leaders or the elites. Often we hear a ma’chik arriving from Kuala Lumpur in Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) saying, “I have just arrive from Malaysia”, which means even such a person believes Sabah is NOT a part of Malaysia.

It is therefore TO BE expected that such patronizing utterance, with regard to SAPPS position, to come from DAP’s Lim Kit Siang in the recent SAPP-PR spat. The same goes to Anwar Ibrahim, Tan Sri Myuhiddin and even Najib (calling Sabah and Sarawak a “fix-deposit” is in itself a derogatory remark, an insult for just making use of the people in Sabah).

If one were to observe, the people from Malaya do not believe in a proper dialogue but rather they command, they order and expect every Sabahans and Sarawakians meekly follow whatever they say. Sadly that is one of many “unwritten” rules, which we in Sabah is not obliged to follow. It is most unfortunate the so-called leaders in the state from both sides of the political divide do not have the guts to make a clear politically correct and truthful statement whenever there is a conflict of ideas. Instead either they become mute because KL is their boss or retaliate on a “tit for tat” hoping to score political mileage at the expense of all Malaysians.

The audacity of the so-called advisor to apologize two days after the incident shows more of condescending attitude towards the people of Sabah instead of his genuine sincerity.

The DAP should refrain from using the weaknesses of the BN government to force the people of Sabah to make a change. What do DAP offer in exchange? Better governance? If that’s the case then it will boil down to a matter of changing a different TUAN instead of changing our economic and social well-being. The change being offered to Sabah is just another excuse to gain political power OR to weaken the present Federal government so much that Parliament cannot make laws and make decisions. In this scenario, who will gain from a weak Malaysian government?

Consider this. The answer to both questions on who would gain from Malaysia’s malaise would be Singapore. It is not rocket science to come to this conclusion. As people say the truth is in the pudding. Since 1965, trade, the brain drain, and offers of scholarships to the best from Malaysia actually benefitted Singapore considerably. Singapore and Malaysia is so closely linked that perhaps the delay in Iskandaria’s development may have contributed to PAP losing 6 seats to the opposition in the recent Singapore election. If this observation is true, then in what way will DAP usher prosperity for Malaysia specifically for Sabah?

Every Sabahan must remember the year 1965. This is the time in history when Singapore was conveniently “expelled” from Malaysia and which some say THAT move had abrogated the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

The expulsion of Singapore also had, by “coincidence”, removed the Sarawak Chief Minister and the Sabah’s Chief Minister who was conveniently made a High Commissioner. All Lee Kwan Yew (LKY) can offer from this episode is that he feels a, “Deep Collateral Guilt”, about the whole thing.

How can Singapore, as one of the party that convinced Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia, eventually left Sabah and Sarawak high and dry. Singapore then went on from just an entreport, which has no other resources except for its people, to a developed nation. Perhaps this was the deal struck between LKY and Tunku in London where Malaya will give independence to Singapore for a job well done and help Singapore trade to grow; and in turn Singapore will shut up and let Malaya get the much needed wealth from Sabah and Sarawak to maintain its own growth. The expulsion came right after Tunku’s return from London and the decision was speeded-up through Parliament. However, Singapore ensured Malaya became its economic hinterland and in the same breath use the “oppositions” in Malaysia to conveniently put Malaysia to languish in a “middle income trap”.

Therefore, the main point of conflict we see in Malaysia today is not about politics. It is about the economy. There is just not enough “wealth” to go around. Protracted political arguments however are feeding the situation of instability so much so that it diverts the attention from the real issue – Economics.

Under Mahathir, Malaysia had put so much focus on Export Oriented Industrialization and less on agricultural development. This is one of the reasons why there are less emphasis on Sabah’s development. Instead of keeping Singapore in check, his policy was by design helping Singapore to grow prosperous unhindered.

As the result of the global economic depression, there has since been a decline in demand for our manufactured products. In truth, the commodities such as oil palm, cocoa, petroleum, and gas are actually saving the economy of Malaysia. Unfortunately, proper INFO-structure and institutions for agricultural purposes are not “capable” to facilitate or manage the current situation. Where there are institutions, and in FELDA for example, is more interested in “distributing sugar”, which is profitable to them than to improve palm oil output which is in truth better for the country.

As long as there are no solid and tangible solutions to be found, the situation in Malaysia and in Sabah in particular will continue to deteriorate. Development and governance cannot maintain the growth momentum without sufficient finances. Financing will be a problem without sufficient revenue. Revenue will not increase if the economy is not growing in tandem. The conflict will escalate from accusations of cronyism and corruption and to eventually race and religion. The flash point may start from a simple schoolyard bullying to eventually civil unrest. In such a situation the country Malaysia and yes, we Malaysians, will lose and without any doubt, Singapore will continue to gain. Trade will just move from Port Klang to Singapore; from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Changi Airport.

Perhaps it is now time for Malaysia leaders to stop this obsession to compete with Singapore directly or indirectly. To do so means Malaysia must dance to Singapore’s tune and play by their rules. Malaysia is greater than the sum of all its parts. Sabah and Sarawak, together with Malaya, IS Malaysia AND properly managed Sabah and Sarawak can ensure Malaysia’s continued “economic” growth momentum.

Fixed Deposit WE SABAHANS are NOT. EQUAL PARTNERSHIP we ARE, in the Federation of MALAYSIA.