KOTA KINABALU - A leader of an NGO in Sabah has locked horns with Peninsular-based PAS on the issue of “Islamisation” in Sabah.
Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BOPIM) president Daniel John Jambun said PAS has no business trying to tell Sabahans how the history of their nation should read.
“We take great exception to seat-stealers PAS of Malaya coming to Sabah and trying to teach the people how the history of their nation should read.
“We refer to their statement today (yesterday) in the local media criticizing BOPIM for taking a stand on several human rights issues including the mass-conversion to Islam by natives.
“PAS should focus on Kelantan. Seat-stealing Malayan political parties are not the solution to Sabah’s myriad problems with the Malayan Government in Putrajaya,” said Jambun.
He was responding to Batu Sapi PAS chief Hamzah Abdullah who accused BOPIM of being a busybody and belittling the leadership of the late Mustapha Harun, a controversial chief minister of Sabah from the late 1960′s up to 1975.
Jambun said PAS has no locus standi in coming to Mustapha’s defence.
“The fact is that eventually Mustapha was not wanted even by the Malayan Government which was responsible for kicking out Donald Stephens, the Father of Sabah’s Independence, and installing his (Mustapha’s) illegal government in Kota Kinabalu.
“The misdeeds of Mustapha were so great that Kuala Lumpur actively backed the Berjaya Party under Donald Stephens to kick out his government in 1976.
“It is an open secret that the Mustapha era was known as the Dark Ages in Sabah,” Jambun said.
Don’t meddle
Jambun said no one should try to revive the Usno-styled mass Islamisation of Sabahan natives.
He said the recent alleged conversion of 74 Christian natives in Pitas, is a transgression of human rights, because it involved inducement in the form of cash and other worldly benefits.
“This is a matter of human rights and the freedom of worship guaranteed by the Federal Constitution, the Batu Sumpah in Keningau, 20 Points and other Annexures in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the all constitutional documents on the Federation that made it clear that Sabah has no religion.
“All right-minded people should take an interest and condemn the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAINS) for out-sourcing its dirty work in Pitas and elsewhere to so-called Muslim NGOs,” Jambun reiterated.
He said, on the other hand, the poverty of the people needs to be addressed by helping them to stand on their own two feet.
“What these unfortunate people need is not a new religion, to dupe them into accepting their poverty and submission.
“We call upon JHEAINS to cease and desist and on PAS not to meddle in our affairs,” Jambun added.
Calvin Kabaron
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