"I believe that after 51 (not 57) years in Malaysia, Sabah people are no longer frightened by such threats. The Deputy Prime Minister at Sipitang had warned of stern action against "secession talk". Yesterday, the Home Minister revealed an "imminent" crackdown against Sabah secessionists whom the government has "identified them", said Yong.
Yong hoped the Home Minister is not making another blunder like he did on the eve of GE13 early polling when he, as the then Defence Minister, accused but did not name "three opposition politicians" of being the master minds behind the 2013 Tanduo Lahad Datu Sulu Intrusion. "Up till now, he has failed to fulfill his promise to identify the three opposition politicians," Yong told.
"What is more upsetting is that there is no apparent effort by the government to resolve the issues that drive some Sabahans to cry for separation from Malaysia. The wise way is to understand this cry for secession and to solve the grievances of Sabahans over the failure of the Malaysian government to honour the Malaysia Agreement 1963. To threaten Sabahans with arrests will only harden the resolve of these Sabahans who already see no solution within the Malaysia context.
"For example, the issues of Borneonisation of the civil service, control over immigration, guarantees of security, native customary rights, oil royalties, religious freedom, unemployment and poverty and cabotage policy cannot be ignored any longer. Sabahans, especially natives, are increasingly disgusted by attempts to be "diMelayukan".
Yong said, in fact, secession is not a correct term because Sabah was not a historical part of Malaya/Malaysia. Sabah with Singapore, Sarawak and Malaya formed Malaysia in 1963. Therefore, the term "separation" is more appropriate than "secession". For instance, Singapore "separated", not seceded, from Malaysia in 1965, he added.
"We also reject any talk that Sabahans are traitors. Instead, Sabahans are patriots who want to see a successful Malaysia that respects, recognises and uphold the letter, spirit and intent of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, without which there is no Malaysia.
Yong, who is a former chief minister said Sabahans are not the traitors. The traitors are those who give out Mykads to illegal immigrants, those fake "sultans" who want to claim Sabah as theirs and those extremists who divide Malaysia dangerously along racial and religious lines.
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