Sabah Political Dilemma

By Dullie Hj Marie

1991 is the dark year when UMNO set its foot onto Sabah's soils, bringing with them their umnoism, cronism, racism, religious extremity and corrupted politics that impeded the social and economic improvement of Sabah. Since, then, the political autonomy of Sabah as promised in the Malaysia Agreement was breached.

The centralization concept by federal politics of Umno in Sabah was designed purely for political greed, gain and power over the state of Sabah, once an autonomous region within Malaysia. Their divide and rule along racial and religious lines brought into Sabah will further break up the unity of its people made up of various indigenous people into compartmentalized political groups weakening its local political parties by way of fragmenting them.

Welfare and economic interests of the people is secondary while their heartless political agenda is to hold an iron grip over Sabah and to control every aspect the livelihood of Sabahans.

The people have to pay the price dearly because of policies were made for their political means rather than tangible solutions. The federal government is arrogantly in total denial on the rights of the State of Sabah as constituted in the Malaysia Agreement taking away the wealth of the state, depriving them of the real economic and social developments.

It is interesting to hear an acknowledgement by PAS President , Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi at an occasion held in one of the restaurant in Tuaran attended by most of the top leaders in Pakatan Rakyat.

His statement quoted as “ Biarlah (saya) bersendirian, saya pemimpin dari Semenanjung, walau ada pemimpin rakyat lain di sini….saya memohon ampun dan maaf atas perangai para pemimpin dari Semenanjung selam 49 tahun ini sehingga Sabah menjadi negeri yang paling dibawah…..”. He further to say, “Walaupun Pakatan sudah berjanji akan menaikan royalti minyak daripada 5 peratus kepada 20 peratus kepada negeri-negeri yang ada minyak, tetapi dalam Islam diajar kita tidak boleh mengangkut hasil ini keluar dari wilayah itu selagi rakyat di wilayah itu belum selesai masalah mereka.”

The acknowledgement unfortunately only came from leaders in the opposition but not the federal government but nevertheless is proof that the leaders from Semenanjung admitted that Sabah was marginalized and penalized by colonization policies.

It is a realization that the political issues in Sabah must be addressed assiduously with full commitment and political will. The perennial issue is the aspirations of Sabahans and the status of Sabah that must be addressed precisely. The aspirations and the desires well stipulated and as enshrined under Malaysian Agreement 1963.

The enticement through political promises, especially in the eve of election, we have seen enough. Sabahans must be awake and realize their rights; that rights are actually actualized in Malaysian Agreement 1963. That is the most tangible and real solutions to address our problems.

We should be more particular not to be entrapped into gimmicks and rhetoric promises only for political gain while our unsolved problems continue to persist.

Dullie Haji Marie is Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Treasurer-General