Sabah and Sarawak elders were misled?

Let's recap briefly the modern history of Malaysia. Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy, consists of 13 states and 3 federal territories.

Who decided to make it that way? Let's keep the answer aside first. We did not even ask for independence but was rather given. Of course, if today were 50 years ago Malaysia might be different.

I’ve no doubt that the elders of Sabah and Sarawak in those days envisaged that Malaysia- the nation comprised of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Malaysia in their minds was more like regional based; Malaya one region, and Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) another region, rather than comprised of unitary states.

Sabahans could not be thinking that Sabah is the same status, take the state of Perlis for example, three times the size of Perlis is not even equitable the size of Sipitang district.

Had there been a strong voice then from Sabah and Sarawak or had there been strong personality wanting to remain independent or be under protectorate of British government for little while like what Brunei did. But we lacked of such voice. Lee Kuan Yew stood up for what he thought was good for him and for Singapore; as a result Singapore was expelled from Malaysia 1965. It wouldn’t happen to Sabah and Sarawak, since Malayan leaders were desperate to gain independence under the earlier format and under such situation wouldn't be that easy to dictate.

To be precise, leaders from Sabah and Sarawak were not ready. In one recent forum titled the “Formation of Malaysia” in Kota Kimbalu, where one speaker put it, when the delegation from Sabah arrived in Kuala Lumpur (all were first timers) in the 60s, seeing Kuala Lumpur was something beyond their imagination. They were put up in one grand hotel, these people didn't even know if they were to lie in beds provided for, instead they chose to sleep on the floor. When asked why? The answer was, that they thought beds were for the bosses. Who were their bosses? Perhaps they were imagining the white men? See how naive they were? Out of three hundred graduates in Sabah only three were local. One can imagine the thinking capacity.

Were they cheated, misled or they never thought about it? Let's see in another angle, may be Malaysia's first Prime Minister was genuine and sincere about uplifting the standard of living of the people in Sabah and Sarawak, but time has changed. Temptation for leaders is ever greater for self-enrichment, family and friends alike. Who were the first to rob Sabah timber? How was Sabah's right to petroleum negotiated? We have more questions than answers for sure. So the culture is inherited. And the rest is history.

Taken from ‘Malaysian Political System Must Change’ by Amde Sidik