COMMENT - Living on a knife's edge: that was the Sabahan reality for the last two weeks.
While Putrajaya played at diplomacy and our home minister mugged for the cameras, many Sabahans were left angry and confused.
There are intruders on our doorstep! Why are they not being chased out?
Do not believe the rumours, Putrajaya said.
We are hoping for a peaceful resolution, Putrajaya said.
And now, good men are dead.
My mother, ever the optimist says, "Let's hope it all turns out for the best."
But I know that right now she is checking that the knives are where she hid them.
Sabahans are not surprised.
Just a few years back, the Population and Housing Census Report for 2010 of the Economic Planning Unit said 27 per cent of Sabah's population are foreigners.
Nearly a third of Sabah.
70 per cent of of Sabah's prison population are also foreigners.
It is the reality Sabahans live with. Foreigners are everywhere, with even their own dedicated settlements.
According to Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, formerly of SUHAKAM and currently PROHAM chairman, when Kampung Ice Box in Tawau burnt down 25 years ago, 5000 people lost their homes.
Only 500 were Sabahan.
Everyone's favourite MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin's own constituency of Kinabatangan numbered about 85,000 as of June 2005.
Only 25,000 of his constituents were Malaysians.
To say that Sabahans have seen it coming is an understatement. Even now, there are 'black areas' in the state capital of Kota Kinabalu that locals will not go. Enter them at night, residents are warned, and you might not see the morning. Not even the police dare.
For years, Sabahan politicians from both Barisan Nasional and the opposition have clamoured for action. Funnily enough, illegal immigrants are one of the few things that has them on the same page.
Because this is our reality: Sabahans have been at the mercy of foreigners for years. Foreigners who have been aided and abetted by Putrajaya.
The RCI findings have proven instead that the sheep have been asking the wolves for protection.
While Filipinos are given ICs and voting rights, many true native Sabahans in rural areas do not have birth certificates or MyKads.
Of course, Sabahans are angry. Some have even taken to calling West Malaysians 'semenanjing' (West Malaysian dogs).
And can you blame them?
Can you blame them for being angry at Putrajaya's failures? For its promises that once it took over the state from the opposition that things would be better? Rosy visions of development and prosperity!
Sabah is still poor. Sabah is still awash in illegals.
And now Sabahans are cowering in their homes, living out the nightmare they knew could be coming.
If only Putrajaya had listened.
We would have been so much better off if we had remained as a British colony until we are really ready to become independent.
ReplyDeleteThe state government is not the only entity who's responsible. Considering the fact that we are living with the foreigners for years.
ReplyDeleteI'm a sarawakian, we are facing the same situation where we have to live with Indonesians, filipinos and many more. The relation we have with them are not just as a neighbouring country. Most probably, our ancestors, yours and mine, came from those countries.
The decision taken by the so called 'sultan sulu' is merely for their personal interest. Not for their people. If you have read in the news or articles, you can see that they been disowned by their own people. That means, there's really something is wrong with them. The most common problem faced by human beings are MONEY. However, if we say that these so called 'sultan' never had money, from where they got money to buy those M16?
How can a good leader sacrifice their own people live just because they want to claim some land because it USED to be theirs.
I agreed with the government decision to negotiate because we have diplomatic relation to look after too. Yes, agreed, polices are killed. But that's their duty to the country. They would be examples to others in future. And bare in mind, they are 800 000 filipinos in Sabah. If the police simply throw bomb to those intruders, their people who are in Sabah right now, will react.
There are lot more to think.
I hope Sabahan stands strong to face these problems.
800,000 that Mahathir, Mustapha, and many others put here for the primary purpose of getting votes.
DeleteThere comes a time when Malaysians must unite and fight a common enemy, not bicker and blame each other over what is going wrong. That time is now for Sabah.
ReplyDeleteWe need to support our policemen and troops facing Filipino militants who wish to lay claim over a land whose people decided to form Malaysia 50 years ago with Malaya and Sarawak.
ReplyDeleteWe need to make sure the sacrifice of eight fallen policemen was not in vain, that their widows and children know their husband or father’s death has helped keep Malaysia intact and free.
ReplyDeleteWe need to see what our priorities are now, to end the bloodshed and standoff in Sabah with Filipino militants who have broken our territorial integrity and laws.
ReplyDeleteWe need to get our peace and security back. We stand united or we fall divided. Pure and simple.
ReplyDeleteThe time for investigating what went wrong with our defence of Sabah will come. The time for apportioning blame and reveal the traitors will come.
ReplyDeleteRight now, we need our politicians to stop blaming each other and accusing each other of instigating this incursion. Such talk is not constructive and will not help our security forces do their job.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the time for politics, and the less we hear from people like Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general Datuk Fuad Hassan the better. We don’t need him to tell us what to do and be patriotic.
ReplyDeleteWe are Malaysians, we are patriotic and 100 per cent in support of our security forces in facing the threat of these Filipino militants.
ReplyDeleteRight now, the Ministry of Defence is sending two battalions of soldiers as fast as possible to double the strength of security forces in Sabah. Budget carrier AirAsia is helping to send the troops there.
ReplyDeleteHome Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has vowed to stay there with his top brass and policemen until the situation is resolved. And Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said the time for talk is over, it is time for action.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia has been patient enough. Our policemen and soldiers are at the forefront of an unexpected war with Filipino militants and locals who appear to owe their allegiance to the Sulu sultan and not our Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
ReplyDeleteA squad of 25 policemen went to investigate suspicious activity in Kampung Simunul in Semporna but only 19 came back alive after being rescued from an ambush on Saturday while six others died.
ReplyDeleteTwo other policemen had died in Lahad Datu on Friday. That is eight deaths too much for a peaceful country like Malaysia and a beautiful state like Sabah.
ReplyDeleteSo let’s get with the programme. Take action first, expel the militants or capture them to face the wrath of Malaysian law.
ReplyDeleteOnly then we can have a review and inquest over what went wrong in Sabah. Not now. Now is the time to unite and fight back our enemies.
ReplyDelete