Be Proud and Stand United as Sabahans - Dr. Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu: “The call by the Sabah Mufti to hasten the Malaynization of Muslim natives in Sabah is actually a blessing in disguise and an eye opener for Sabahans that they are being used and used over and over by the federal/Malaya authorities to divide and rule the people of Sabah and maintain the colonial regime of Malaya over Sabah” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, Chairman of STAR SABAH in weighing in on the issue of Malaynization of Sabahans.

“We need to look beyond the Mufti who while voicing his personal opinion was actually giving a reflection of the divide and rule policy of the federal racist regime and splitting further the already disunited Sabahans” added Dr. Jeffrey.

Sabahans are already being divided into Muslims and non-Muslims and being pitted against one another by the ruling Umno/BN government. No matter how or what the Chief Minister or the federal authorities denies it, it does not mean that the secret and covert operations to Malaynize and Islamize the natives of Sabah does not exist.  It exists in reality to the extent natives are recorded as Muslims and Malays in their Mykads although they are not and the authorities make it difficult to rectify such “mistakes”. 

In reality, Sabah has always been peaceful and harmonious with diverse multi-ethnic and multi-religious groups to the extent in many families, they would have multi-religious members.

The Malaynization call gives a window of opportunity for all Sabahans to stand-back and re-assess the divide and rule policies of the federal authorities.

All Sabahans need to take a united stand and assert ourselves and adopt “PROUD TO BE A SABAHAN” regardless of our ethnicity, race or religion” urged Dr. Jeffrey.   

We cannot allow Sabahans to be divided by ethnicity, race and religion and be used as mere pawns in the political power game by the Umno/BN regime so that they can continue to colonize and control Sabah. And at the same time the Umno/BN regime will continue to rape and plunder Sabah’s riches and wealth to finance Malaya’s development at the expense of Sabahans.

“Whether we are Bajau, Suluk, Dusun, Bisaya, Kedayan,Kadazan, Murut, Rungus, Sungei, Brunei,Chinese, Indian, Pakistani or the rest of the 32 plus ethnic groupings, we are all, first and foremost, Sabahans” stressed Dr. Jeffrey.

In this regard, Sabah has prevailed where Malaysia or 1-Malaysia has failed.Sabahans have always been one big and close family. We should not allow the importation of Malayan culture and policies to destroy the very fabric of harmonious multi-ethnic and multi-religious Sabah.

In the Peninsula, instead of nation-building, the Umno/Malay leaders are promoting racism and religious division and racial bigotry. Instead of promoting a Malaysian identity, everyone there is divided into Malay, Chinese, Indian or others. Sabahans are then caught and placed in the humiliating “Others” or “Lain-lain” category.

The term “Malay” is only a constitutional definition in the federal constitution and should not be used to eliminate the multi-ethnic groups in Sabah. An Indian or Pakistani Muslim may be constitutional Malay, he will always be an Indian or Pakistani Muslim by race and can be seen when they call themselves Malays but set up their own Indian Muslim associations.  Similarly, a Bajau or Dusun Muslim will not lose their race dignity and identity.

In Sabah, we must unite and maintain our common identity as SABAHANS and be proud to be one. We, Sabahans have every right to be proud of our Sabahans’ identity, language and culture. 

Sabah is the third biggest palm oil producer in the world, the second biggest oil and gas producer in Malaysia, the second biggest contributor to the federal treasury, yet Sabahans are the poorest Malaysians.

If we allow ourselves to be further divided and continue to be governed as a colony and 12th subservient State by UMNO/Malaya and if we fail to take charge of our own destiny and future and to control and manage our own resources, there is little hope in the future for all Sabahans” added Dr. Jeffrey.

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman

STAR Sabah

13 October 2013

Legal and Moral Duty to Regain Sabah’s Oil - Dr. Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu:    “It is now clear as daylight that it’s the legal duty and moral obligation of the Sabah government and every Sabah MP to take immediate steps and by all available means to regain Sabah’s oil ownership” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief after attending the Public Debate between Tan Sri Harris Salleh and Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee held at the Sabah Gold and Country Club on Friday.

The “explanation” of Harris that he had no choice but to sign the 1976 Oil Agreement with Petronas and receive 5% cash payment for Sabah’s oil as the federal government had stated that Sabah’s oil found off-shore belonged to the federal government and signing and getting 5% was better than getting nothing at all. 

Harris also stated that it was the federal government who prepared the Oil Agreement and he was under pressure to sign the Oil Agreement, partly due to rescue the Sabah government which was left with RM2 million in its kitty.

His story confirms and re-affirms the recent revelations by Tan Sri Majid Khan of the “lies” by the federal leaders in the 1970s that oil found off-shore Sabah belonged to the federal governmentand that it was up to the present-daySabahans to take the matter to court to determine the truthfulness and legitimacy of the federal statement.

Harris’ statement was made in the presence of the 300-strong crowd and the team of Special Branch officers who had recorded everything diligently for their Malayan political leaders. 

It is very apparent that the federal leaders’ assertion that Sabah’s oil found off-shore belonged to the federal government is false.  Nothing is further from the truth.  

Since 1954 the international boundary of Sabah (North Borneo then) was extended to include the area of the continental shelf which remained unchanged until Malaysia Day on 16.09.1963.Sabah’s international boundary is acknowledged in Article 1(3) of the Federal Constitution which provides that:-

1. (3) Subject to Clause (4), the territories of each of the Statesmentioned in Clause (2) are the territories comprised thereinimmediately before Malaysia Day.

This Sabah international boundary is even recognized today in the government official website:http://www.townplanning.sabah.gov.my/iczm/Reports/Coastal.

Pursuant to Section 24 of the Sabah Land Ordinance (Cap. 68), it is also clear as daylight that from December 1930, the oil and gas found on-shore or off-shore of Sabah belonged to Sabah.  

“Anyone that does not accept this fact and truth ought to take lessons in the law” stressed Dr. Jeffrey.

“Whatever mistakes of the past should be learnt and steps should be taken to rectify the past mistakes” advised Dr. Jeffrey.

In owning up to Sabah’s predicament on Sabah’s oil, Harris unequivocally advised that it was up to the Sabah lawmakers to make amends and raise the issue in Parliament to re-claim Sabah’s oil and not behave like past and present lawmakers who would put up both hands to support the federal government.   Harris further added that he was certain that if the matter was raised and reasonable, the federal government would agree to Sabah’s demands.

The idea was supported whole-heartedly by Datuk Yong Teck Lee, another former Chief Minister.  Datuk Yong then advised that due to the changes of the times and circumstances, the federal government was at its weakest and Sabah lawmakers as “kingmakers” should leverage on the thisweakness and use the “window of opportunity” to demand for Sabah’s oil and other rights.

For the future and benefit of each and every Sabahan, it has now become the legal duty and moral obligation of the Sabah government and each and every Sabah MP to take every available step to regain Sabah’s oil and gas ownership.   

The Sabah government needs to raise with the federal government the issue of Petronas returning Sabah’s oil and gas ownership and the Sabah MPs need to raise the matter in Parliament.   If they wish to take it further, they should get the Petronas Twin Towers renamed as the PETRONAS SABAH SARAWAK TWIN TOWERS.  

“There is no two ways about it, regain Sabah’s oil or condemn Sabah’s future generations to unwarranted poverty due to the oil revenues being siphoned off to Petronas and the federal government” concluded Dr. Jeffrey.

Datuk Dr.Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman, STAR Sabah

12 October 2013