A National Leader or only fit to be a Penghulu




By A.G.Mustakim

T This is a response from a Sabahan to Khairy Jamaluddin’s press statement on the 6^th February 2008 distributed by BERNAMA.

“The issue raised by the opposition for instance, about Sabah for Sabahans and oil royalty for Sabah only and not sharing with others ……. This can incite emotion of parochialism, which at one time, pose a threat to national security” (bold added). This is part of the press statement made in Kuala Lumpur another orang Malaya young upstart. In one sentence such as this, he made so many blunders that instead of appeasing the voters in Sabah; he may well have created discontent and discord. Is this the best candidate with the potential to lead Malaysia by the age of 40? To be a Penghulu in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan may be but to lead Malaysia there must be a better choice from amongst the 15 million people in Malaya than this. Otherwise if there is no one better suited, why not give a Sabahan a chance? Allow me to elaborate on his blunders:
1. Issues raised by the opposition:
this should be as clear as day that the incumbents have not been listening to the people. The incumbents must have lost touch with the heart and minds of the people. This is the reason the opposition picked these issue up. Do you honestly think the opposition is so desperate that they simply want to pick-up just any issues from thin air or just because they overhear someone talking in coffee-shops. They are also garnering for popularity which means popular vote which also means bringing up issues closer to the heart of the people. If the incumbents have been doing their work at the grassroot level as they often claimed, how they could possibly missed this dangerous under-current? This is the result of widespread hypocrisy. In order to please, the incumbents tend to hide the truth simply because they failed in their duties and responsibilities. They prefer to give good tidings and will always say “everything is okay” and their favorite word is “everything is under control”. When the final tally is done, the same people will create a thousand and one excuses why they failed. Worse still if they claim they did not fail, it’s the people that failed them.
2. Sabah for Sabahans & oil royalty is for Sabahans only: As a true blooded Sabahans, we are not as selfish as those elites that can be found in Malaya. In Sabah we are use to sharing, we brought our identities, traditions, culture and system of values from the longhouses into this modern world. However, do not take our kindness to share as our weakness that those from Malaya tend to forget their place and start taking everything. In the end you may be surprise what a Sabahan can do. After 44 years of sharing our resources and wealth with Malaya, why is it that a resource rich Sabah and Sarawak is still poverty stricken? How much more do you want us to share? After 44 years of taking from us is this not enough? What does it take to satisfy you? Is it possible for Sabahans or for that matter ordinary people of Malaya to support a leader with rapacious and insatiable appetite? Think before you speak!
By nature a Sabahan is reticent, he/she will not argue with you. Instead if there is any discord or discontent he/ she will normally keep quiet. The ability to read body language and facial expression is an asset here. Its better when they are loud and boisterous. But when they suddenly grow quiet, something must have gone wrong. They may be clapping at your every word, but who knows they may be imagining slapping your face to pulp.
3. Incite emotion of parochialism: In this I beg to differ. This is the word used by Mahathir to classify the nature of politics in Sabah. Like so many other orang Malaya, Mahathir was wrong in his diagnosis of Sabah politics. During 22 years of Mahathirism he did everything to create more problems in Sabah which became our legacy today. He had the audacity to rescind his promise “to sink and swim” and when going get tougher his friend sinks into political oblivion while he swims away happily ever after. A typical elitist Malayan attitude, they get what they want they throw you away like soiled cloth. Therefore do not use Mahathir words unless you are of the same breed or aspiring to be one.
Actually to use the word parochialism in Sabah is a misnomer. This is because Sabahans are not narrow minded, close minded, provincial, insular or unsophisticated. In reality, Sabahans are really the opposite of all these. That is why orang Malaya can never understand us Sabahans. Racism or religious zealotry has never been an issue in Sabah. Sabahans have live harmoniously ever since we can remember. Inter-marriages are so common that people in Sabah do not think along racial or religious divide anymore. There are elements which have tried to take advantage of this perceived “social cleavage” but failed miserably. Just take a good look at the obituaries in the local papers and observe the social cohesion is not based on race or religion but based on kinship through inter-marriages. So orang Malaya should have a care when talking along racial or religious lines. If in the company of Malays, belittling the non-Muslims or another race may offend the Malays in Sabah as well. This is because you may be talking bad about their grand-parents, parents, uncles, aunties, cousins, in-laws or even their brothers and sisters.
It is for this reason; racial and religious politics that orang Malaya has been trying to preach in Sabah can never work. Therefore it is wrong to categorize Sabah politics is based on parochialism. Social cohesion in Sabah in Sabah is based on kinship which transcends race and religion for generations. So how do you think you can apply the concept of divide and rule to Sabah? Unfortunately, you have to be a true Sabahan in order to even grasp the meaning of a Sabahan’s kinship.
4. Last but not least, parochialism poses a threat to national security: this is the type of hype that the Americans used. With politics of fear that Bush had successfully implanted in the minds of his people they have the excuse to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. Perhaps in order for the ruse to it to work, he had to blow up 2 towering landmark in New York. So what does this young upstart wants to blow up in KL in order to get his politics of fear going? Street demonstration did not create fear in people, demonstrations only make people angrier.

As I have explained parochialism in Sabah is a misnomer so how can a wrong word be a threat to national security? Far from it, the street demonstrations and bombing in Sabah in 1985 and 1986 was not a typical Sabahans handiwork. These were perhaps imported design, purposely instigated to create misunderstanding and eventually spilling over into the streets. It is unfortunate; our local leaders from both sides then were blind to conspiracy theories. Perhaps the best person to elaborate on this is Tun Musa Hitam, it happened conveniently during his watch.

If parochialism is a threat to national security then racism is even worse. A province can be isolated and the threat eliminated, but racism is everywhere. Based on this logic, it means that in Malaysia a political party should not be created along racial lines rather based on ideology. Why then should Malaysia condone ethnic based party then creating a mediocre multi ethnic party as an umbrella and using consensus as an excuse to allow its existence? If this is not hypocrisy of the highest order, then I am an “Orang Utan’s Uncle”.

Following this line of thought, then it is obvious kinship is also a threat to national security. Do the leaders in Malaya now want to issue a decree that all inter-marriages are now taboo in Malaysia too? And as part of their final solution will all the products of inter-marriages be eliminated as well? Well then all these elitist orang Malaya can shout about and wave their little keris all they want, compared to our Kelewang (Gayang) the keris is nothing, ours have real human hair.

written by malsia1206, February 10, 2008 | 14:27:52

WHO is this chap Khairy IF NOT for the person who stand behind by relationship? Before the PM assumes office 4 years ago (because he was initially chosen by the former PM) not many happen to have heard this name. Now his name appears to be buzzing around like there's honey in Putrajaya. Is he a bird? Is he a plane? He's definitely NOT Superman.

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written by oknyua, February 10, 2008 | 17:20:04

I like this article; it indicative that Sabahans are now starting to wake up.

KJ was just a baby, probably just weaned from milk when Pairin woke up Kadazan-Dusun patriotism. When Pairin became the CM, many Kadazan changed their names, throwing off their Westernised names to that of original Kadazan. That is the atmosphere like nowadays; the more KJ criticised the Sabahan, the greater is their awareness of cutting themselves off from “Malaya”. If Malaya is represented by UMNO, this KJ should be thanked for putting the last nail of UMNO’s coffin with his remark. That shows what a young upstart could achieve.

Who is KJ to gain such prominence and notoriety? He may be worshipped in W Malaysia, but to Sabahan and Sarawakian, he is living off the name and position of his inept father-in-law.

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written by Mr Smith, February 10, 2008 | 14:46:03

Malaysia was formed with four equal entities. That was why Lee Kuan Yew continued to be Prime Minister of Singapore and the Tengku, the PM of Malaysia.
Of course Singapore did not want to be pushed around by the Big Brothers in KL and they left or rather, was kicked out.
Sabah and Sarawak leaders, unlike Singapore's had no pride, and allowed themselves to be slavish to KL in exchange for political power and of course riches. They allowed Sabah and Sawarak to become a state just like Perlis.
So equal entities have now become non entities.
By right the Chief Minister of Sabah must be equal in statues to his counterpart in KL. Now he is even lower than the Mentri Besar of Perlis.

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written by Tompios, February 10, 2008 | 15:27:46

That's true Mr. Smith,

As Sabahan or Sarawakian, we shouldn't call our states as 'Malaysian's state' but republic of Sabah or Sabah nation.

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written by Flex Tan, February 10, 2008 | 15:29:07

KHAIRY JUST CREATED A WAR WITH AMAN (OF COURSE THROUGH THE OPPOSITION)...

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written by hakunamatata, February 10, 2008 | 15:29:14

Nobody bothers about Khairy except those in UMNO.
It is time everyone wakes up from their slumber and change the government before it does more damage. Because of a selfish few, the whole nation has to suffer.
If we let this be, we are just BN's accomplice. The future generation will blame us for the damage as well.
Malaysians of all walks of life, please think of the future of the country where corruption,injustice,unfairness will be the norm IF it is not CHECKED NOW.

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written by The dragonheart, February 10, 2008 | 15:48:54

UMNO looks at KJ like son of God... He graduated from a University from a far far land, never deal with the local people, go to private school, live in and elite family, now wants to lead a country where almost 1/3 are in poverty...

I suggest he go and live like Mathama Gandhi or Lord Buddha first before he wants to talk about leading the masses...

KJ if put in power would destroy the nation because he only understands the plight of the masses on paper only...

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written by krising1, February 10, 2008 | 16:04:58

Dear Sabahan,

I only take issue with you in one matter. Your quarrel should be with the UMNOputeras and not orang Malaya. We are equally the victims here. The UMNOputeras have been robbing all and sundry.

Otherwise I agree with all that you say. And this KJ is a boy still wet behind his ears. All the UMNOputeras lick his butt because he is the PM's son-in-law. Othewise is he kosong upstairs - his Oxford education nothwithstanding.

If he every dares to set foot in Sabah, pelt him with rotten eggs. I will share the cost of the eggs.

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written by hiro, February 10, 2008 | 16:58:35

That's what happens when the boss is not diligent and is not checking on what his ministers are doing and saying. It's so true that there must be leadership by example. The boss not only has to work the hardest, but also the smartest. It's a wonder how our Cabinet has regressed to this level, when a taxi minister can end up becoming a law minister, and a law minister is demoted to a cultural minister. UMNO has really lost its bearings and the rakyat must help reclaim what is right and just for Malays by supporting the opposition.

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written by Flex Tan, February 10, 2008 | 17:02:12

TELL THAT TO THE REMBAU FOLKS... HE IS NOT THE SON OF GOD.