Illegal immigrants celebrating Warisan's win, a WAKE-UP CALL for Sabahans

KOTA KINABALU - The current political scenario, in which Sabah now has two chief ministers and a constitutional crisis is already brewing, it’s time for all Sabahans to come into a pan-Sabahan unity, a much stronger solidarity to avert the possibility of a reverse takeover of Sabah.

The president of Parti Solidarity Tanahairku (STAR), Datuk Dr. Jeffrey G. Kitingan, saying this in a statement here, pointed out to the euphoria of the immigrant community with the appointment of Warisan’s president, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, as the second chief minister sworn in unconstitutionally after the recent GE14.

“This development is a challenge to the pan-Sabah community comprising the Chinese, and Momogun community and others,” he said. “We are facing the possibility of a flood new overnight citizens with many immigrants, who are holding work passes and IMM13 documents, now expecting the Warisan government to issue them MyCards as soon as possible. They are already unable to control themselves from expressing their excitement for this prospect in the social media.

“Of course we have no objections to legal immigrants, those who become citizens through the legal means. What is dangerous is the sudden escalation of what has been happening since the 1970s, which was the massive influx of illegal immigrant who later became overnight Bumiputeras,” Dr. Jeffrey warned.

He said, in view of this imminent danger, the community of genuine Sabahans must now rally together in a new unity to protect their rights and autonomy by stopping a  drastic change in our demography.

“Most importantly, it’s way past the time for the former KDM-based BN parties and those in the opposition before GE14 to come back to the roots and form a new pan-Sabah solidarity!” he said. “Along with the non-KDM-based parties and the components of the Gabungan Sabah should now sit down to discuss the immediate formation of a Sabah political coalition.

“I have heard that some of the KDM assemblymen who have decided to join the Warisan pact to form the government are now re-thinking their decision in view of their obvious conflict of interests as politicians who are supposedly fighting for their future of their people,” he said.

With regards to his decision to team up with Tan Sri Musa to form a government pact, he deeply regretted that his own people have vociferously condemned his action as a betrayal to his voters and his people.

“Despite their initial anger, many KDMs who were calling me ‘katak’ as if it is the dirtiest word in Sabah politics, are now realizing that I was acting in the interests and future of my people,” he explained. “As I have already said I made the decision after seeing the illegal immigrants celebrating Warisan’s election wins, loudly in the streets of the state capital. I was further convinced to make the pact after getting the agreement from Tan Sri Musa for us to kick Umno and BN out Sabah, implement Sabah IC and continue the fight for Sabah’s right and autonomy.

“Eventually people will be reminded and made to see that in all my political struggles, I had done nothing less than to fight for Sabahan rights,” he added. “But let’s not wait for the distant future to do the right things. The time to act is now when the ominous challenge stares at us in the face.”