Ex-DAP Leaders should re-align and fight for Sabah Rights – Dr. Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU - “Whatever is the cause, the departing DAP leaders should re-align and re-focus their political aim towards assisting in the fight for the restoration of Sabah rights and autonomy including regaining Sabah’s oil and gas resources” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief in commenting on the resignations of several ex-DAP leaders and their supporters.

Sabahans should no longer rely on parties and leaders from the Peninsula to champion the cause for Sabah.   Their priorities are not Sabah’s priorities and their agenda to gain power in Putrajaya does not necessarily entail Sabah’s agenda.   In fact, some of their priorities and agenda are conflicting to Sabah’s.

The federation of Malaysia is not a standardized and homogenous federal-state relationship for the 11 States in the Peninsula and for Sabah and Sarawak.  This is because Sabah and Sarawak are equal to Malaya not the States in Malaya.

It’s a 2-tier federation, the lower tier being the federation of Malaya with 11 States and the higher tier between Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.   As a result, a simplified two-party system will extinguish the rights and autonomy of Sabah and leaving Sabah and Sarawak as the 12th and 13th States forever.

At the moment, the Chinese community in Sabah are more focused on their business and career interests and are not strong advocates or supporters of Sabah’s rights and autonomy.   They need to join the fight to seek the return of Sabah’s oil and gas resources.  It is not acceptable to Sabahans for Petronas to be vested all of Sabah’s oil and gas resources and giving 5% of the revenue when it is exploited.

Whatever the reasons for their disinterest in fighting for Sabah’s rights and autonomy and the return of Sabah’s oil and gas resources, the Chinese community need to re-assess the situation and think about the future of their children and grand-children in Sabah. They should not adopt the view that they can send their children overseas and then encourage them not to return home.

Sabah is their homeland too that their ancestors, grand-parents and parents have helped built.  They need to stand united with the other communities to seek the restoration of Sabah as an equal partner in Malaysia equal to Malaya and Sarawak.   They need to help fight for the return of Sabah’s oil and gas resources.

In this regard, the ex-DAP leaders after having worked under their previous party should seize the opportunity and re-align themselves and bring along the Chinese community to fight for Sabah’s rights and autonomy from now on if they still consider themselves as Sabahans and love Sabah.