YONG: Learn from Scotland on autonomy or secession

KOTA KINABALU - "It is noteworthy that Federal minister Datuk Rahman Dahlan would prefer, if he has a choice, that Sabah and Sarawak be equal to Malaya and not just be one of 13 states in Malaysia," said SAPP President, Datuk Yong Teck Lee in responding to Rahman's clarification that Sabah has special status although Sabah is just one of 13 states in Malaysia. Being a Sabahan, Rahman should help restore Sabah's status as equal to Malaya as intended in the formation of Malaysia in 1963. 

If Malaysia continues to refuse to honour the 1963 Malaysia Agreement, then the sentiments of "secession" among some Sabahans will surge. In my testimony to the RCI last year, I had warned that if the illegals issue was not resolved soon, then SSKM (Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia) will gain momentum, which is why we today read that the police are widening their probe against "secessionists". But any crack down will only energise SSKM. In facing secessionism, Malaysia should learn from the recent Scottish referendum which is that, unless Sabah gets the full autonomy promised when Malaysia was formed, then the "secessionism" will gain momentum. 

The Scottish push for outright independence had forced all three British national parties, led by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron with his coalition partner and the opposition Labour leader, to sign a written pledge of "max devo" (full autonomy) for Scotland three days before the referendum if Scotland were to vote "No". If not for this last minute pledge, Scotland could have won its referendum instead of losing by only 200,000 votes. This "British max devo" pledge would be the equivalent of UMNO's Najib, PKR's Anwar and PAS's Hadi Awang signing a joint pledge recognising full autonomy for Sabah in return for Sabah forgoing independence. 

In spite of Scotland having been part of the UK ever since 1707, there remains a strong push for Scottish independence because of Scottish resentment towards the English-centric, Westminster-based UK government that is seen as been unfair to Scotland.

Whereas the UK is a more united and successful country, Malaysia is a country at cross roads. Whereas Scotland and England are linked by good highways on the same island, Malaya and Borneo are forever separated by the vast South China Sea. These are realities that nobody cannot ignore. But whereas London engages Scottish nationalists in talks, Putrajaya threatens Sabahans with arrests and crackdown. If the UK had insisted that Scotland were equivalent to a county like Surrey or Sussex, would Scotland have voted "No" to independence? Are Sabah and Sarawak of Malaysia equivalent to Surrey and Sussex of England? Or are Sabah and Sarawak of Malaysia equivalent to the Scotland and Wales in relation to England of the United Kingdom?