Adopt 1-Country 2-System in Education and Cabotage

KOTA KINABALU - “The federal, Sabah and Sarawak governments should start adopting the 1-Country 2-System (1-C 2-S) in education and cabotage to overcome any problems in granting full autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak on education and cabotage. Sarawak’s adoption and recognition of the Chinese education UEC is a fine example of the 1-Country 2-System,” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in welcoming Sarawak’s announcement to recognize UEC in Sarawak and rejecting the Transport Minister’s announcement that the cabotage cannot be abolished.

Federal Ministers and leaders especially those from Malaya need to understand and realize that their policy statements on Sabah and Sarawak whether given off the cuff or well intended will be interpreted from the perspective of Sabah and Sarawak and have far reaching effect and consequences. Some may even alienate the people in the Borneo States and lead towards the break-up and disintegration of Malaysia even though there was no such intention from such Ministers and leaders”

Given the unpopular and cost-increasing cabotage policy which burdens the people of Sabah and Sarawak, Minister Liow’s announcement that the cabotage cannot be abolished will have far reaching consequences in the next elections. It will also add to the grievances and unhappiness of Sabahans and give a boost to Sabah nationalists and their push for full autonomy and even secession for some.

With the 1-C 2-S in cabotage, Malaya can continue with the cabotage policy in Malaya and close all their Malayan ports and bar foreign shipping from plying between Malayan ports. At the same time, it will allow foreign vessels to ply between ports in Sabah and Sarawak and ports in Malaya.

By such a system, it will definitely reduce shipping costs for Sabah and Sarawak for which each of the 3.2 million population in Sabah are paying an estimated RM175.00 per month in shipping costs alone in 2012, probably more now in 2015.

It will also open the opportunity for Kota Kinabalu to be shipping hub for BIMP-EAGA and the region or dubbed “Dubai of the Far East” as proposed by the Sabah Federation of Industries and its immediate past president, Datuk Seri Wong.   

It will make the proposal very do-able and feasible which at the same time will attract much needed foreign investments especially from China as the open shipping policy will allow direct shipment between China and Sabah. Sabah has vast natural resources to feed industries which will have a huge and ready market in China.

Meanwhile, Sarawak’s announcement on the UEC while unprecedented is not surprising given its stand on autonomy in education as a move to develop its human capital resources which is part of the core focus of CM Adenan’s government to advance Sarawakians.

The Sabah government should follow Sarawak’s footstep and immediately announce its recognition of the UEC rather than unofficial ad-hoc acceptance in the past as it was not officially recognised.   There is only positives in such formal recognition.

Perhaps, the Sabah government needs reminding that like Sarawak which has a substantial enrollment of bumiputra and non-Chinese in Chinese schools, Sabah’s natives and non-Chinese make up some 35% of Chinese schools enrollment.

It will immediately allow the Chinese, natives and non-Chinese UEC holders an opportunity to continue their university education in public institutions and job opportunities in government and government-linked corporations.

By de-centralizing education and assumption of full autonomy in education, Sabah and Sarawak will be free to adopt policies which will benefit and advance their younger generations and open global opportunities for them. It will improve education standards and only benefit Sabah and Sarawak in the longer term.

The failure of the current Malaysian education system and policies is evident everywhere. Education is a life-long process and the key to the future of the nation and its citizens. Education should not be politicized or manipulated as a political tool. Neither should it be hijacked by any ethnic group for whatever reasons.

If Malaya and Umno wish to continue with the “Ketuanan Melayu” policy in education and put Malayans and Malays at a disadvantage like the proverbial “katak dibawah tempurong” or frog under the coconut husk, the 1-C 2-S will allow them to be adopted in Malaya.

If the federal government only wish the Malays to be “jaguh kampong”, by all means they can do it in Malaya.

For Sabahans, the Sabah government should adopt education policies that will give our younger generation the advantage to be on the world stage.   Let’s not forget that English is the medium for global knowledge, science and technology, finance and international trade while Chinese is a key to China’s market which is now the second biggest economy in the world and which is poised to overtake the US in time to come.