Our 54 years Merdeka..?

By Amde Sidik

The 54 years of Merdeka was referred to Malaya, the states of Sabah and Sarawak aren’t included yet.

My calculation though rusty but I still believe it’s correct that Malaysia was formed in 1963 …the rest you can calculate, see if it tally.

For some time now the rakyat are forever getting confused of how best to address this Merdeka date issue, as everyone knows the disparity of time between the two mainlands in getting their independence day.


I quite agree with the findings reported in Malaysiakini.com (http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/174494) on the issue of race relation, to me its better to hear the truth no matter how bad it sounds than hearing all rosy self-comforting yet all made up by individuals or groups with self interests and motives behind.

Malaysians Race Relation

In Sabah and Sarawak the scenario of Race Relation is quite different. Our race relation has always been superb; our religious tolerance level has always been high.

Ethnics and religious differences have never been major political issues as much as what Peninsula is now experiencing. This is why I keep on asking why is it our leaders in the Peninsula refuse to emulate our practices.  It is because ours -Sabah and Sarawak isn’t good enough, inferior so to speak.

That reminds me, one of ABIM leaders in one of our local TV talk shows sometime ago, who said, it’s alright for non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak to use word 'Allah'  - he was referring to discussion on the word of Allah, but not in Peninsula. When asked why? He reason was, it’s bad for the country. I honestly feel he was talking crap, I thought a graduate in law from London University should be able to give reason more than a sentence.

Is this the kind of leader to lead the country into the next millennium? I must say, if he ever comes up one day he would likely to break the country into pieces.

This also manifest if Malaysia is truly 1Malaysia, which to me is not government spent public money in promoting slogans of political gimmick. Have we not learned from Abdullah Badawi’s Islam Hadari?

Sabah needs no 1Malaysia slogan; I think it’s a waste of public funds, which shouldn’t be at the first place.

After observing the development of Malaysia’s politics from the two great divides, I’m of the opinion neither one, BN nor Pakatan leaders from Peninsula would seriously look at Sabah of something of part of them, thus leadership’s attitude wouldn’t change dramatically. I still see the culture of I stretch your back and you stretch mine very much alive. Sabahans may still require to provide tokens such as udang kering or tanduk payau a means to please their bosses for promotion or may even to become calon in the next General Election after all nothing is free in this world.

Fair enough, what does it mean when we have bi parties system politically? The answer, two big components of political parties, but at the end of the day they would still adopt one system of federal government. Shortly, two parties but one system of government, while at the moment is one party and one system of government.

For Sabahans, must they not ask what are the major differences that Pakatan Federal government can come up with that makes Sabah is different than under BN control?

In another, why would any Federal Government go beyond what is in the country’s legal provision?  Worst still, now Sabah is demanding its autonomy (self government) no federal leaders would want even to hear let alone entertain. Let ask Dr Jeffery Kitingan former Vice President of the PKR, how far did Tambunan declaration (Borneonisation) being adopted in PKR manifesto?

To digress a bit, Sarawak though BN but its all governed by local Sarawakians, we’ve seen nobody can decide for Taib Mahmud - a part from millions of rumours around that Taib is falling. My only advice to Taib is watch out Egypt and Libya if they may provide clues, I agree we’re different but then just in case. Taib’s scenario doesn’t apply to Sabah. By the way, one can be Sabah’s golden boy who deserves most to become State Chief Minister but wouldn’t happen because someone in Putrajaya who makes the final say, namely the Prime Minister.

Therefore the only choice open for Sabahans is by working out our way meandering if needs be, with ultimate aim is to make sure Sabah is managed and administered by conspicuous Sabah leaders themselves not by push button from Putrajaya where even to smallest matter like old folks’ salaries needs approval from federal minister.

Let allow Sabah be governed by Sabahans as this era is different than that of PBS’s time, if then Sabahans failed to fulfill the aspiration blame them to hell.

Sabahans should know best where the priorities are, just like Kelantan, Penang and Selangor are which managed their respective States far better than of BN control in many areas in less than a term. Compare this with 54 years under BN which tasks now is to discredit by all means.

Finally we in SAPP don’t squabble about going to Putrajaya, we support whichever opposition parties go against BN, lets share the political cake. Our view is and for the sake of reciprocity we’d expect opposition parties in Sabah to team up to enable Sabahans form the next State Government and that’s our mission.

AmdeSidik is Malayasia Citizen Journalist and Deputy President of SAPP