Out of the top ten events that have an impact on Sabah's future, eight are positive in the long run, said Yong in a statement yesterday.
He said the emergence of non-party activists fighting for Sabah rights, like SSKM, the author of the book Queen's Obligations, MOSIK and other NGOs is a sure sign that ordinary Sabahans are taking up the fight for Sabah rights.
The sedition trial of the "Tuaran 4" will bring forth the many grievances of Sabahans. Similarly, the claim for the "40% entitlement" led by a senior federal minister with activists, professionals and the local oppositions, hows a nonpartisan unity of fellow Sabahans fighting for Sabah, added the former chief minister.
According to Yong, the Ranau earthquake, though tragic, has displayed the heroism of ordinary Sabahans, the mountain guides, and the collective consciousness of Sabahans. The earthquake has made Sabahans more self-confident, self-reliant and proud of being Sabahans.
The coming together of Sabah local parties under the Gabungan Sabah (United Sabah Alliance) and the commemoration of Merdeka in Kundasang and Batu Sumpah in Keningau has struck the right chord with the people's desire to see a united Sabah opposition.
"At the same time, the weakening of Malayan parties, especially the internal turnoil within Umno, and Umno-PAS co-operation will weaken BN in Sabah. Issues of the GST, 1MDB and financial weaknesses of Malaya have revealed to Sabahans that we have to save Sabah from Malaya," he asserted.
Yong said the demise of Pakatan Rakyat is causing the Malayan parties' influence in Sabah to wane. Racial and religious polarisation in Malaya, racial incidents like Low Yat, have eroded the confidence of Sabahans towards the Malayan model of national unity.
"Sarawak's reawakening as a powerful voice for Sarawak autonomy has energised Sabah's movement for autonomy. Similarly, the Johor Sultan's outspokenness and unexpected hints of leaving Malaysia, makes Sabah feel no longer lonely.
"Further ashore, at the United Kingdom, the victory of the Scottish National Party in defeating both the Labour Party and the ruling Conservative Party, in a parliamentary democracy similar to ours, shows us a way forward," he said.
Yong also said the international superpower play going on at the South China Sea will play out in the decades to come. Knowing China's history, China's military might is to prevent any war from breaking out in the first place. Hence, the maritime silk road concept and the 60 billion dollar Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are soft strategies of China that can benefit Malaysia. Depending on how Malaysia protects our sovereign interests, there is a silver lining in the South China Sea issue, he said.
"The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), like all trade accords, will have its pros and cons for all the countries involved. As TPPA will open up a huge market for Sabah's palm oil, our economy and State revenues will benefit. These benefits will help offset the strengthening of the US Dollar due to the rise of US interest rates. Sabah has too small an industrial base and intellectual properties to be affected by TPPA. In the long run, TPPA will force the Malaysian (and Sabah) economy to be more efficient.
"This is like the International Tropical Timber Agreement 1994 which had forced Sabah to adopt Sustainable Forest Management by 2000 with long,term benefits. Although the fall of crude oil prices from 100 USD to 35 USD will affect Sabah's revenues,the drop in oil prices has eased the upward pressures on inflation," he pointed out.
Yong said the low point for Sabah in 2015 has to be the tragic beheading of the Sarawakian tourist who was kidnapped from Sandakan.
"The beheading brings home to Sabahans the reality of gruesome violence that we read about only in international news. "Perfect storm", a combination of all the armed groups in the Philippines with hostile intention towards Sabah, will test our security forces to its limits," he said.
In an environment of general lawlessness, he said private armed groups, kidnap for ransom gangs and official corruption, the failure of the peace process in Southern Philippines will undoubtedly pose serious challenges for Sabah. This has been admitted openly by the police.
"The failure of the Philippines to honour its peace agreement with Bangsamoro to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law by this year will, as forewarned by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), lead to terrorism and more violence. That this is already happening is amplified by the latest execution of villagers by extremist groups who mimic Middle Eastern "fear factor" tactics.
"The Philippines "Sabah Claim" is taking centre stage in the Philippines elections campaign. High profile candidate are openly campaigning for the "Sabah Claim". Their election results in May 2016 will have a strong bearing on our relations with the Philippines,"he added.
All in all, Yong said 2015 had been a tough year for Sabahans but it has a silver lining of longer term benefits arising from the growing resilience as a people.
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