Jeffrey to BN parties: Join United Borneo Alliance

Jeffrey to BN parties: Join the United Borneo Alliance (UBA) to safeguard Sabah, Sarawak"

“The political parties in Sabah and Sarawak should unite under one banner, the United Borneo Alliance (UBA), to safeguard and protect the rights and autonomy of the Borneo States” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, the Chairman of UBF.



“I call upon all the Sabah and Sarawak component parties of Barisan Nasional (BN) to leave BN and join the United Borneo Alliance” said Dr. Jeffrey to the local BN components in the Borneo States as a follow-up to the announcement of the formation of the United Borneo Alliance at the 1st anniversary of UBF last Saturday.

“Similarly, I also call upon the leaders and supporters of Sabah UMNO to leave and join the United Borneo Alliance.  History has shown that the people of Borneo can no longer rely on Malaya and its leaders to look after the interests of the Borneo States” added Dr. Jeffrey.

The recently concluded UMNO General Assembly proves that UMNO cannot look after the interests of Sabah.  Sabah UMNO represented the biggest State delegation and apparently Sabah UMNO also sent its biggest ever delegation to the Annual Assembly but not a single voice let alone any motion was tabled to highlight the issues and problems plaguing Sabah.

UMNO is only interested in the struggle for “Ketuanan Melayu”.

Every party in Sabah except Sabah UMNO has called for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) as proposed in Borneo Agenda No. 7 to look into the illegal immigrants and “Project IC” issue.  Even many of the Sabah UMNO leaders in private have whispered their support of the RCI.  However, UMNO has been mum on the RCI.

The State is now further threatened with an over-whelming influx of illegal immigrants who are provided with ICs and non-original natives voting for the future of Sabah.

“We may not have been ready in 1963 but the people in Sabah and Sarawak are now ready, more than ready, to look after their own State’s interests” pointed out Dr. Jeffrey.

In fact, had the leaders in Sabah and Sarawak remained united in their cause of State interests after the 2008 General Elections, the Sabah and Sarawak BN components could have become the “United Borneo Alliance”.

The Malayan BN leaders and the Federal  Government would have accommodated the restoration of the rights of the Borneo States and changed their mindset in the treatment of the Borneo States in their desperation to remain in power for the “United Borneo Alliance” could have forced a change of the Federal Government to Pakatan.

The time has come for the people and leaders in Sabah and Sarawak to “TAKE CHARGE” and not rely on others to safeguard Sabah and Sarawak’s rights.

As called by UBF, “UNITY IS DUTY”.

“If the people of Sabah and Sarawak are united, we will obtain the restoration of the rights and autonomy of the Borneo States as championed by the Borneo founding fathers with the safeguards built into the Malaysia Agreement” advised Dr. Jeffrey.

It has to be reminded that what UBF and now the United Borneo Alliance are seeking are merely the restoration of the rights of the Borneo States and not demands for additional rights.

The future of Sabah and Sarawak lies in the hands of Sabahans and Sarawakians and time for action cannot be further delayed especially in Sabah.   In another 5 years, the future of Sabah may be decided by non-original Sabahans, the illegal immigrants but granted citizenship through the back-door purely, for vested political motives - to keep the ruling Government in power.

The current leaders of the BN components must look into their conscience, hearts and souls and say “Enough is Enough” to the West Malaysia parties and their leaders.

Let me repeat the call of the son of our founding father, Datu Badarudin Tun Datu Mustapha, “all Sabahans, whether you are Muslims, non-Muslims or Chinese, we must stand united and defend Sabah’s rights as ANAK SABAH” and not let race and religion divide us or come between us, for the benefit of our future generations.

Let’s all join hands, let bygones be bygones, and strengthen the United Borneo Alliance and safeguard the rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak before it is too late.  Let’s learn from our history and not repeat past mistakes.

“KALAU BUKAN KITA, SIAPA LAGI?  KALAU BUKAN SEKARANG, BILA LAGI?
“UNITY IS DUTY”


Datuk Dr. Jeffrey G. Kitingan is chairman of UNITED BORNEO FRONT