Don’t Threaten Sabahans Over Sabah Rights - Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu:   “The Minister’s statement to threaten and intimidate Sabahans shows sheer arrogance of the highest order and a clear-cut abuse of power to lord over and control Sabahans to ensure Umno/Malaya’s dominance and colonization over Sabah” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief in response to the Minister’s statement to weed out protagonists over their claims for Sabah rights.

There is nothing criminal or wrong in any Sabahan/Sarawakian to seek the restoration of the rights, privileges and autonomy of the Borneo States that were taken away or eroded since 1963.

The Minister seems to have forgotten the facts of history that Sabah and Sarawak (with Singapore then) formed Malaysia in 1963 and were given various promises and assurances by the then Malayan leaders including the execution of the Malaysia Agreement to induce and entice the Borneo States to form Malaysia.  

Malaysia never existed before 1963 and Malaysia would not have existed even today without Sabah and Sarawak. 

Claims for the restoration of Sabah rights and autonomy do not mean cessation, being anti-Malaya/Peninsula or promoting hatred for other Malaysians.  Claiming for Sabah rights is nothing more than the equivalent claim for Malayrights in the Peninsula.Claiming for these rights also does not mean “Sabah for Sabahans” or “Sarawak for Sarawakians”.  

It is not even a shadow of a threat to the security and well-being of the nation although it may seem to be a political threat to the political powers that be.  A political threat just like the political threat posed by Pakatan Rakyat to the ruling regime does not mean a threat to the nation or security of the nation.   Such a political situation is but part and parcel of a democracy.  However, the ruling regime does not see it that away and use every possible government machinery to bully, harass and intimidate the opposition.

The Minister should take a lesson from the Prime Minister and realize the realities of the political power wielded by the Borneo States and its people including the local BN leaders.   

The people in the Borneo States have awakened from their slumber and now realize that their roles as kingmakers in determining the federal government in Putrajaya and along with it the God-given opportunity to voice and claim the restoration of the rights and autonomy of the Borneo States.

Sack the ministers and deputy ministers from Sabah and Sarawak today and immediately the ruling BN regime will find itself in the opposition with the Minister himself as the “shadow” minister in the opposition cabinet.

The claims for restoration of Sabah rights and autonomy are beyond pure harassment and threats by the ministers and the government machinery.   The people of Sabah including Sabah Umno/BN leaders and supporters are already joining the band-wagon to seek the restoration of the Sabah rights.

Even the claims for the return of the oil rights and oil revenue, taken 95% by Petronas and the federal government with RM58 billion taken in 2012, can no longer be ignored.   Promises of development, 1 or 2 “Tangki Biru 1-Malaysia”, a few pieces of zinc and timber, a few million here and there, a few hundred million of projects here and there, will no longer satisfy the people in Sabah and Sarawak.   It will be more evident come the 14th general election.

The official slogan may be “Sabah Maju Jaya Dalam Malaysia” but the stark reality on the ground and in the kampungs is “Sabah Termiskin Dalam Malaysia”.

If the Minister wish to take action against the threats to the security and well-being of the nation, he should look into the statements and threats issued in the name of Malay rights, Ketuanan Melayu but which are totally unrelated, as well as the religious bigots that incite racial and religious hatred and are divisive to Malaysians.

The biggest threat to the security of the nation and the break-up of Malaysia is from the ruling government itself.   The more the ruling government ignore and does not address the grievances of and the injustices inflicted on Sabahans and Sarawakians and implement the Malaysia Agreement, the 20/18 Points, the IGC Report and the recommendations of the Cobbold Commission, the louder will be the voice of the people in Sabah and Sarawak.

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman, STAR Sabah

23 September 2013

Perjanjian Malaysia 1963

Sesungguhnya, warganegara Malaysia perlu mengetahui fakta supaya kebenaran dan keadilan dapat ditegakkan. Rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak yang pada ketika ini berada di bawah kuk "penjajahan" Malaya, harus menggunakan segala kuasa yang ada pada mereka untuk menegakkan autonomi kerana inilah yang dinyatakan dalam Perjanjian Malaysia 1963.

Berikut saya nyatakan beberapa intipati Perjanjian Malaysia 1963. 

1. Perjanjian Malaysia ditandatangani di London pada 9 Julai 1963.

2. Persekutuan Malaysia terdiri daripada gabungan empat negara, iaitu Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Malaya), Singapura, Sarawak, dan Sabah. 

3. Istilah "negara" dan "negeri" pada ketika itu belum jelas seperti mana yang kita fahami pada hari ini. Yang penting adalah keanggotaan dalam Persekutuan Malaysia. Keanggotaannya terdiri daripada 4 negara, seperti yang saya katakan. 

4. Perlu diketahui dengan jelas bahawa Persekutuan Tanah Melayu terdiri daripada 11 negeri, iaitu Selangor, Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor, dan Melaka

5. Dalam perjanjian Malaysia, keanggotaan Persekutuan Malaysia itu bukan terdiri daripada 11 negeri Tanah Melayu, bersama dengan Singapura, Sarawak, dan Sabah, tetapi Persekutuan Tanah Melayu itu hanya 1 entiti, dan bukannya 11 entiti.

6. Pengisytiharan pembentukan Malaysia dibuat pada 16 September 1963, dan ia terdiri daripada Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, Singapura, Sarawak, dan Sabah.

7. Singapura dikeluarkan dari Persekutuan Malaysia pada 9 Ogos 1965 dan menjadi negara republik.

8. Dengan kezaliman politik yang dilakukan oleh pemerintah Malaya yang menguasai Persekutuan Malaysia, Sabah dan Sarawak diturunkan tarafnya daripada sebuah negara kepada sebuah negeri melalui Pindaan Perlembagaan pada 27 Ogos 1976. 

9. Inilah ketidakdilan, kezaliman, dan penindasan politik yang dilakukan oleh pemerintah Malaya. Untuk memulihkan keadaan ini, pemimpin dan rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak harus bertindak. Ahli Parlimen dari Sabah dan Sarawak memainkan peranan dalam hal ini kerana Sabah dan Sarawak menjadi kuasa penentu sama ada BN atau PR yang menerajui Putrajaya. 

Strategi Politik

Dalam usaha untuk mendepani PRU 14, STAR harus mencari dan melaksanakan Strategi Politik yang bijak supaya berupaya menubuhkan kerajaan baru di Sabah kelak. Apakah caranya? 

Berikut adalah beberapa perkara yang perlu diberi perhatian:

1. Salah satu perkara paling mustahak dilakukan adalah untuk memberi penjelasan mengenai hak-hak Sabah. Dalam konteks menuntut hak-hak Sabah dan rakyatnya, STAR harus mempermudahkan penjelasan mengenai gagasan Sabah sebagai sebuah negara, Perjanjian Malaysia 1963, Perkara 20, IGC, kuasa autonomi, dan sebagainya.

2. Apakah ertinya "Sabah sebagai sebuah negara"? Gagasan ini, walaupun menarik dan perlu, tetapi mudah diputarbelitkan oleh pihak lawan sehingga rakyat menjadi keliru dan kurang percaya dengan perjuangan ini. Ini berikutan pendidikan sejarah Sabah yang langsung tidak dititikberatkan dalam sistem pendidikan negara. Sehubungan itu, ia perlu diistilahkan semula. 

3. Kita harus berfikir dan mencadangkan strategi yang perlu dilakukan oleh kepimpinan STAR dan rakyat Sabah untuk membolehkan Perjanjian Malaysia 1963 dan Perkara 20 dihormati dan dipatuhi. Untuk mencapai hasrat ini, barisan kepimpinan STAR dari peringkat nasional, negeri, bahagian harus disegarkan dan dimantapkan. Pendidikan Sejarah Sabah harus dikuasai.

4. Struktur organisasi STAR di peringkat negeri, bahagian, cawangan perlu jelas, khususnya dari segi hierarki jawatan dan peranan. Bagaimana setiap lapisan kepimpinan ini dimantapkan? Apa latihan yang diberi kepada mereka? 

5. STAR harus memiliki kekuatan ekonomi supaya menggerakkan organisasinya di peringkat cawangan, bahagian, dan negeri. Kewangan STAR perlu mantap. Bagaimanakah cara untuk memantapkan kewangan STAR? Apakah sayap pelaburannya? 

6. Setiap Bahagian perlu ada Pejabat Perhubungannya dan kos pengurusan operasinya ditanggung oleh parti. 

7. Untuk melaksanakan program-program UBF yang berkisar mengenai pendidikan Sabah, dana harus diwujudkan dan diberikan kepada UBF. Barisan kepimpinan UBF harus jelas. Salurkan wang untuk operasinya. 

Sabah Sarawak Unite for Borneo Rights- Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu: “There is no necessity for the MPs from Sabah and Sarawak to meet with other leaders in Kuala Lumpur to lead or even assist in securing the restoration of the rights of the Borneo States or even to ask for ministerial positions in the Federal Government” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in response to reports of MPs from Sabah and Sarawak meeting up with Tengku Razaleigh.

The position of MPs from Sabah and Sarawak as “Kingmakers” had been clear-cut in the political tsunami of 2008 and in PRU-13, more so in the latter, where Prime Minister Najib have had no choice but to appoint 21 ministers and deputies from the Borneo States. Even then, as there were subsequent disgruntlements from MPs in Sarawak, the PM had promised to make further Cabinet changes to accommodate other MPs from Sabah and Sarawak after the Umno elections later this year.

The people of Borneo need to shed and discard their old mentality, which has been wrongly cast by decades of propaganda and brain-washing, to depend and rely on leaders from Malaya.

With due respect to Tengku Razaleigh or better known as Ku Li who is not only eminently qualified and experienced to lead Malaysia and probably will do a better job as Prime Minister than many from Umno, he is in the wrong party and the wrong coalition. 

Furthermore, Umno today is not the old Umno and their current politics of exploitation of race and religion and playing up racism with double standards, one for Umno/BN and another for the opposition. The PM has done nothing to stop the downward spiral towards breakdown of racial harmony and did not tick off his Umno leaders who have their own brand of extremism, to the extent of even asking the majority of Malaysians to leave for exercising their democratic right to elect their representatives.

The BN coalition is not a true coalition but a grouping monopolized by Umno and with priority and biasness towards Malayan-based parties and neglecting Borneo parties. There can be no explanation other than pure biasness for not giving ministerial positions to SPDP who have 4 MPs compared to MIC with 4 ministerial positions for all its 4 MPs or for Gerakan with its sole representative.

The PM and Umno and the Sabah, Sarawak parties and their 47 MPs need to remember than without the 4 MPs from MIC and 1 from Gerakan, BN will still form the federal government. However, on the other hand, if the Sabah, Sarawak parties abandon BN without even joining Pakatan, there will be a change of the Umno/BN federal government.

This point is not lost when Ku Li did not pass up the opportunity to meet with the Sabah and Sarawak MPs who are not only kingmakers but also hold the trump card to change the PM. That is the strength of Sabah and Sarawak in the current political equation in Malaysia.

There is no necessity for Sabah, Sarawak MPs to be diplomatic let alone beg to be given ministerial positions. Just lay the cards on the table and openly demand for their rightful positions in the federal Cabinet. These ministerial positions are not the possessions of Umno or their Malayan counterparts but equally belong to the Borneo States as equal partners in Malaysia, more so when these seats are needed for Umno/BN to remain as the federal government.

Their demands should not stop at just ministerial positions. 

The MPs from Sabah and Sarawak need to realize that they have been elected by their own people and have a moral and legal obligation to safeguard and protect their homeland, Sabah and Sarawak, as well as to fulfill the legitimate expectations of their electorate. 

These obligations and expectations include the restoration of the rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak, the return of the oil revenue and resources and to bring about development. 

They need to ensure that for every ringgit spent on Malaya, a minimal equivalent ringgit is spent on Sabah and Sarawak and for every kilometre of road built in Malaya, another kilometre is built in Sabah and Sarawak and the basic amenities should be upgraded within the next 5 years to bring them on par with Malayan standards. This minimal equivalent is already a big concession to Malaya considering the lop-sided development for the past 50 years and the RM35 billion oil revenue taken from Sarawak and another RM18 billion taken from Sabah yearly.

A better option for the MPs from Sabah and Sarawak is to abandon BN and to be united as a Borneo coalition and to forge a genuine partnership with their counterparts from Malaya to form the Malaysian federal government and not be dictated by Umno or their Malayan counterparts. 

There is no better alternative to a UNITED BORNEO ALLIANCE to safeguard the rights, autonomy and future of the Borneo States. Then, the true spirit of the formation of Malaysia would be respected and the intentions of the founding fathers of Malaysia fulfilled. 

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman STAR Sabah

16 June 2013

STAR Sabah to be Re-organized and Strengthened - Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu: "STAR Sabah will be re-organized and strengthened to better prepare for GE-14” said its Sabah Chief Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, at a meeting with members of the Central Committee and Heads of Divisions at a leading Hotel here in Kota Kinabalu today.

The meeting was called in response to GE-13 post mortem recommendations following the unexpected election results.

“Despite your hard work and enthusiasm we failed to deliver in this election because our expectations were too high within such a short period of just 15 months but considering the obstacles and huge odds, we can stand proud of our efforts” he told the meeting.

“Don’t forget that we have just planted the seeds of our struggle in a hostile and competitive environment where other political trees have already grown and taken roots. We need to be patient and committed to nurture these seeds so that one day our political struggle will outgrow the others and bear fruits for our people” he elaborated.

It is understood that most candidates and members were disappointed with the results of GE13 but remains highly charged and spirited and committed to the struggle for Sabah rights and autonomy.

“The success of the other opposition parties in the recent elections can be attributed in part to the efforts of STAR in highlighting the history, rights and treatment of Sabah. The Party and UBF in educating and enlightening the electorate of Sabah rights and autonomy have been successful so much so that Sabahans and even leaders of Sabah BN components are openly discussing and demanding for the return of Sabah’s rights and autonomy compared to everything being hushed up and covered up previously” he added.

The STAR Chairman told the meeting to learn from the post mortem of the election and reminded them to be strong and never to give up so easily.

He said “remember STAR still did not lose…we just did not win enough. But STAR now has a seat in the Assembly. Let this be our first step towards more future victories.

After dissolving the current AMT, Dr Jeffrey was given the full mandate to reorganize and re-appoint leaders to the Party pending party elections.

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman STAR Sabah

12 June 2013

Kebangkitan Baru Politik di Sabah

Hasmin Azroy

HARI ini, pada 28 Mei 2013, maka 23 hari telah berlalu PRU 2013. Apabila kita menjumlahkan 2+3, jawapannya 5. Angka ini mengingatkan kita pada tarikh  negara kita mengadakan pilihan raya pada 5 Mei 2013 yang lalu untuk kali yang ke-13. 

2. Sementara itu, apabila kita menjumlahkan 2+8 (iaitu tarikh 28) pula jawapannya 10, sama dengan jumlah 5+5. Angka 10 ini amat signifikan dalam sejarah baru politik di Sabah. Saya akan menerangkan hal ini dengan lebih terperinci dalam artikel ini.

3. Apabila kita menjumlahkan 5+5+2+0+1+3 (iaitu tarikh 5 Mei 2013), jawapannya 16, sama jumlah apabila digabungkan 2+8+2+0+1+3 (tarikh 28 dan tahun 2013). Sesungguhnya, Angka 16 adalah angka yang relevan dan penting bagi rakyat di Malaysia, khususnya di Sabah dan Sarawak kerana pada 16 September 1963, Malaysia dibentuk. Inilah asas bagi perjuangan murni menuntut hak-hak Sabah dan rakyatnya yang telah dinafikan oleh pemerintah Malaya.

Maklin Masiau

Jebon Janaun

4. Dalam konteks artikel ini, STAR merupakan satu-satunya parti politik di Malaysia yang mencatat sejarah yang unik, istimewa, dan hebat dalam PRU 2013. Sehubungan itu, sejarah tersebut tidak wajar diperkecil atau diperlekehkan oleh mana-mana pihak sebaliknya perlu diperhatikan dengan adil dan saksama. Memang banyak keunikan yang dicapai oleh STAR, namun, dalam artikel kali ini, saya cuma memberikan fokus terhadap penglibatan dan perjuangan guru. Sesungguhnya Angka 10 yang saya nyatakan di atas itu ada mesejnya.

Angka 10

5. Tahukah anda bahawa dalam PRU 2013, seramai 10 orang guru telah bertanding atas  tiket STAR? Sesungguhnya, untuk bertanding dalam PRU, guru tersebut perlu meletakkan jawatan terlebih dahulu selaras dengan peraturan Kerajaan bahawa calon yang bertanding hendaklah tidak memegang "jawatan yang berpendapatan"? Siapakah pejuang hebat dan pencipta sejarah baru politik di Sabah ini? 

Senarai Guru

6. Berikut adalah senarai sepuluh orang guru yang telah bertanding dalam PRU 2013 di Sabah. 

1. N3 Pitas -  MAKLIN BIN MASIAU (Undi: 3,111)
2. N37 Sook - KUSTIN LADI (Undi: 2,828)
3. N5 Tandek - JEBON JANAUN (Undi: 2,668)
4. N40 Labuk - PINUS GONDILI (Undi: 1,238)
5. N47 Kuamut - EDWARD PODOK (Undi: 1,196)
6. N36 Kemabong - TAY JIN KIONG @ ALFRED  (Undi: 1,155)
7. N31 Paginatan - FEDDRIN TULIANG (Undi: 1,139)
8. N30 Karanaan - JALIBIN PAIDI (Undi: 1,067)
9. N39 Sugut - MASIA WAN KUNCHING (Undi: 341)
10. P181 Tenom - HASMIN @ AZROY ABDULLAH (Undi: 2,449)

Perjuangan dan Pengorbanan 

Edward Podok

7. Sepuluh orang bukanlah sedikit. Daripada 10 orang guru tersebut, 9 orang daripadanya bertanding di kerusi DUN, manakala 1 orang yang lain bertanding di kerusi Parlimen. Sekali lagi apabila kita menjumlahkan 9+1, jawapannya 10. Angka 10 itu besar ertinya dalam gerakan nasionalisme Sabah pasca PRU 2013.

8. Tentu saja kita perlu mengambil iktibar dan merenung sedalam-dalamnya mengenai kebangkitan baru politik di Sabah ini. Kenapakah begitu ramai guru yang sanggup berjuang dan berkorban? Apakah sebenarnya yang berlaku ke atas Sabah? Adakah guru-guru ini tidak berfikir akan risiko yang mereka hadapi apabila meletakkan jawatan? Banyak persoalan yang boleh dibangkitkan. Jawapan kepada kesemua persoalan itu terletak pada kata perjuangan dan pengorbanan demi Sabah tanah air kita yang tercinta ini.

Masiawan Kunching

9. Sesungguhnya, hak Sabah dan rakyatnya seperti mana yang termaktub dalam Perjanjian Malaysia 1963, Perkara 20, IGC, Suruhanjaya Cobbold tidak dipatuhi oleh pemerintah Malaya. Sabah dan Sarawak dizalimi dari segi politik dan ekonomi. Kezaliman dan ketidakadilan yang berlaku ke atas Sabah dan rakyatnya menjadi asas kebangkitan baru pejuang nasionalisme dan patriotisme Sabah dalam kalangan guru. Kebangkitan mereka akan terus terserlah.

Sejarah Unik

10. Setahu saya, dalam PRU 2013, tiada satu pun parti di Malaysia, baik dari BN mahupun dari PR yang mempunyai calon seramai itu dari kalangan guru yang bertanding dalam pilihan raya. Malah sejak Sabah merdeka pada 31 Ogos 1963, tidak pernah tercatat dalam sejarah politik di Sabah, begitu ramai guru yang meletakkan jawatan, berjuang di gelanggang. Hanya pada PRU 2013 sejarah demikian tercatat.

Feddrin Tuliang

10. Ini bererti, parti STAR sekali lagi mencipta sejarah baru di Sabah. Sejarah ini tidak dapat dipertikaikan dan ia akan direkodkan dalam dokumen sejarah. Sesungguhnya, inilah Kebangkitan Baru Politik Sabah. 

11. Walau tiada seorang pun antara 10 orang guru yang bertanding itu yang menang dalam PRU 2013, mereka sebenarnya telah membawa impak yang besar dalam lanskap politik tanah air. Penglibatan ini tidak akan dilupakan, malah ia membawa sinar dan harapan baru dalam politik Sabah. Hanya saja para pejuang ini perlu terus tampil ke hadapan. 

Jadi, Apa Selepas Ini?

Jalibin Paidi

12. Jadi, persoalannya, apa selepas ini? Dari segi kelangsungan hidup mereka, tentu saja setiap orang guru yang telah mengambil keputusan untuk berjuang dan seterusnya melepaskan jawatan mereka sebagai penjawat awam, mempunyai perancangan masing-masing untuk terus membawa impak kepada diri, keluarga, dan masyarakat.

13. Dari segi politik pula, saya yakin bahawa mereka akan terus terlibat dalam pembangunan komuniti dan mengasah bakat politik mereka dengan lebih tajam dan berkesan.

14. Sudah tentu, rakyat telah membuka mata mengenai kejujuran dan keikhlasan guru-guru ini berjuang untuk membela nasib rakyat. Jangan ada sesiapa pun cuba memperkecilkan penglibatan guru ini.

Pinus Gondili

15. Buat masa ini, saya melihat hal ini merupakan satu Kebangkitan Baru Politik Sabah. Ribuan guru telah terlibat dalam gerakan kebangkitan nasionalisme Sabah, baik secara terang-terangan mahupun secara tersembunyi. Untuk lebih mudah diingat, saya fikir untuk menamakan gerakan kebangkitan ini sebagai M-10 (Ten Movement), iaitu Gerakan Pejuang Sepuluh sebagai penghargaan dan penghormatan kepada 10 orang guru yang telah meletakkan jawatan dan seterusnya diberi kepercayaan oleh pucuk pimpinan parti untuk bertanding dalam PRU 2013.

16. Namun, perlu saya tegaskan bahawa Gerakan Pejuang Sepuluh (Ten Movement) ini sama sekali tidak menafikan para pejuang yang  lain. Mari kita terus berjuang.

“Unite under UBA to Safeguard Borneo Rights - Jeffrey”

Kota Kinabalu:  “The people and political parties of Sabah and Sarawak should unite under a single umbrella to safeguard Borneo rights and secure their future under the Federation of Malaysia”said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in response to the various opinions on opposition unity in Sabah.

Ever since the formation of Malaysia in 1963 and the ejection of Singapore from the Federation in 1965, the position of Sabah and Sarawak has been eroded and rights taken away through a series of subtle and not-so-subtle manipulations by the Federation of Malaya and their political leaders in Kuala Lumpur.

The list of wrong-doings is long and ever-growing.

• The Malaysia Agreement was not implemented and thrown down the drain;
• The 20-Points have not been complied with;
• The Head of State has been downgraded from “Yang DiPertua Negara to “Yang DiPertuaNegeri” in 1975”;
• Sabah’s oil and gas resources had been unjustly and unlawfully vested to Petronas in 1975;
• Sabah’s federal taxes and other revenues are siphoned wholly by the Federal government to the tune of a whopping RM38 billion in 2012 and another RM40 billion is targeted to be collected in 2013;
• Sabah’s population demographics and political franchise are changed forever with the unwarranted issuance of dubious MyKads and ICs to unqualified foreigners born outside Sabah;
• Sabah’s security has been totally ignored as can be seen in the recent LahadDatu intrusion by armed foreigners, many alleged to be holding ICs and Umno memberships;
• From the second richest State in 1970s, it is now the poorest in the country.

Even the history of the formation of Malaysia is twisted and the falsere-written history is taught to our young in schools.   Malaysia never existed before 1963 and never gained independence.  Yet we have been made to celebrate Malaya’s independence since 1963 instead of Malaysia Day and Sabah’s Independence is cast aside and not even confined to the history books as if it never happened.

The Umno/BN propaganda machinery and brainwashing have been so complete that the young generations have lost their thought that Sabah and Sarawak are not supposed to be subservient States to Malaya/Malaysia but equal partners with special rights equal to Malaya.  

As can be seen from the results of the recent GE-13, the voters in Sabah and Sarawak were taken in by the concept of a “2-Party System” contest between BN and PR when in reality and in practicality, a “2-Party System” and Malayan-based political parties cannot best fight for the rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak.

If the “2-Party System” is entrenched in Sabah and Sarawak in GE-14, the special rights and autonomy of the Borneo States will be lost forever and Sabah and Sarawak will be downgraded to and remain as the 12th and 13th states of Malaya/Malaysia forever.

It is therefore imperative for Sabahans and Sarawakians to stand united under a single Borneo umbrella, both at state-level and jointly, which can champion and safeguard their rights and autonomy.    We cannot rely on Malayan political parties, which sometimes have conflicting agendas, and their local proxies and stooges to safeguard Sabah and Sarawak rights and interests.

The common platform for Borneo unity is already available under the UNITED BORNEO ALLIANCE (UBA).   It is a matter of getting the relevant parties to work together and forging ahead to re-claim Sabah and Sarawak rights and autonomy.

The strength of Borneo unity and role of Sabah and Sarawak as “Kingmakers” cannot be more emphasized than the position of the MPs from Sabah and Sarawak after GE-14 which has contributed a record 11 Ministers and 10 Deputy Ministers and with their own ministries unlike being “MenteriJalan-Jalan” without portfolios under the PM’s Department in the past.

Even the 25 non-Umno BN MPs from Sarawak and 8 from Sabah could have toppled the BN federal government by switching camp to PR and in the process could have demanded the restoration of the rights of Sabah and Sarawak.   That is the strength of Sabah and Sarawak in the current political equation in Malaysia.

Unfortunately and ironically, instead of fighting for the rights of Sabah and Sarawak, the MPs and local BN components have settled for personal ministerial positions when they could have created history by restoring the rights of Sabah and Sarawak and at the same time maintain their ministerial positions in the new coalition/federal government.

Not only are the rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak are at stake.  The future of all Sabahans and Sarawakians are at stake.   These rights, autonomy and future can be secured by a united opposition under UBA, both at state and jointSabah/Sarawak levels, and there is no better alternative at the moment.

Datuk Dr.Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman STAR Sabah

27 May 2013