Activist: Unlike Sarawak, Shafie's under Putrajaya's thumb

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah-based political activist Zainnal Ajamain has congratulated the Sarawak government for its apparent firmness in dealing with Putrajaya on the question of state rights.

Speaking to FMT, he said the Sabah government, by contrast, had been too submissive. He voiced a suspicion that Chief Minister Shafie Apdal is under Putrajaya’s thumb.

Zainnal was commenting on Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg’s disclosure that he had, during last month’s meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), specified the following matters as non-negotiable: the state’s autonomous power over immigration; its right to enforce its own laws in accordance with the Federal Constitution; its right to protect its borders; and its ownership of all resources on land and in the sea, including those found underground and beneath the seabed.

Shafie was also at the Dec 17 meeting, which was chaired by the prime minister.

Zainnal said it was disappointing that Shafie did not put his foot down as Abang Johari did.

“All he can do is tell the people that the implementation of MA63 will take time,” he said. “Sabah and Sarawak have waited and hoped for more than 50 years. How much longer must the people wait and hope?

“Whatever was put forward by Sarawak should also be forwarded by Sabah. It’s time that the Borneo states show a common stand and a common voice.

“By keeping silent, the Sabah government appears to be in cahoots with Putrajaya. Perhaps Sabah should not allow its chief minister to be controlled by Putrajaya. The chief minister must defend the rights and wealth of Sabah. He should not be a chief minister for Putrajaya.”

Abang Johari made his disclosure at a press conference in Kuching last Thursday. He said he assumed that Putrajaya accepted Sarawak’s position on the non-negotiable matters because none of the committee’s members objected to his presentation.

Zainnal said it was a shame that the Sabah representatives at the meeting were not as well prepared for it as their Sarawak counterparts.

Sabah obviously achieved nothing, he added.

He noted that Sarawak had also gained the right to hold direct discussions with Petronas on petroleum revenues and to levy its own sales tax.