Sabah leaders must unite for state interests

KOTA KINABALU: Leaders in Sabah, regardless of their political orientations, must now unite in order to be effective in fighting for state interests, said Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

The chairman of the United Borneo Front (UBF) said this in response to Upko's hardline call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to look into the long-standing issue of the illegal immigrants in Sabah.

He said it had always been the call of the UBF to all leaders, regardless of whether they are in the Barisan Nasional or in the opposition, to unite and to voice out the Sabah cause, and this is another opportune moment in which they can do that.

"It's high time we stop operating under our respective party identities and create a united front to get the federal government to relent on its reluctance to form and mobilize the RCI on illegals. There is no question that we can be the strongest when we speak as a truly united front for the sake of Sabah," Jeffrey said.

He reminded the leaders not to forget that the Barisan Nasional is in reality obliged to the Sabah and Sarawak leaders for saving the coalition from collapsing after the last general election, and the 56 parliamentary seats held by Sabah and Sarawak today are more than enough to change the federal government without going  through any general election if all these leaders decide to support the opposition.

"But to achieve this they have to be united," he said. "And the big question is whether they can be wise and pragmatic enough to create that one powerful force. Can't they raise above their personal and party interests and create history?"

Jeffrey also pointed out that by acting as individual parties, with each trying to be a hero, the leaders are actually showing that they have fallen into the divide-and-rule tactics of the federal government.

Source: BP