We are Sabahans before Malaysians

We are Sabahans before Malaysians

By A.G.Mustakim

Anak Keningau tries to be a Sabahan but failed miserably, the reason is because he is not from Sabah, perhaps from Negeri Sembilan. I am a Sabahan first before I am Malaysian. No one can dispute this; Sabah was an independent sovereign state before we decided to form Malaysia. This is the reason Sabah and Sarawak are unlike the states in Malaya and should be treated as such. History should not be written for their convenience of a few but for the good of all Malaysians. This is the basis of our existence from my father to me and from me to my children and probably beyond that. We will keep on preaching until someone realizes that truth is more powerful than lies or hypocrisy.

Yayasan Sabah sent me to study in Malaya when I was only 12 years old. I have even spent some years working there. Personally, I have nothing against orang Malaya per se. But I am against the injustice, unfairness, discrimination and condescending manner that they have shown to Sabah and Sarawak ever since the formation of Malaysia 44 years ago. It appears that these people are willing to change history, for their own convenience, every year they insist on celebrating 50 years of Malaya independence rather than 44 years of Malaysian independence. As the saying goes “history is written by the victors”, but since when Sabah was vanquished that we have to accept the version written by Malaya? They even made this into exam questions in schools a wrong answer will render a Sabahan to lose a mark. An innocent thing to provide the “right” answer but unconsciously preconditioning our children to accept Sabah is a defeated state.

Anak Keningau is a typical orang Malaya; coming to Sabah trying to help Sabahans in a condescending manner but do we really need their help? Orang Malaya may give the wrong impression that without development fund from the central government, progress and development in Sabah may be retarded. This may be true but then where is the money in central government coffer coming from? I am sure without the contributions from Sabah and Sarawak, industrialization in Malaya may remain a pipe dream. Orang Malaya may still be tapping rubber and panning for tin. Yet we see states such as Negeri Sembilan and Melaka without any resource other than a few depilated stone fortresses and muddy beaches is categorized as developed states while resource rich Sabah and Sarawak as a less developed state. To top it all, Sabah records the highest incidence of hardcore poverty to boot.

Therefore development fund from the central government is our right not a privilege bestowed upon us just because there is close relationship between the leaders in Sabah and the central government. Perhaps they want to show Sabah and Sabahans as beggars rather than partners. In fact Sabah has more right to these development funds than states such as Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Perak Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

Anak Keningau is right in saying that all these will be decided by the rakyat and not by our politicians. The rakyat in Sabah made their choices known before, and has thrown out 3 governments. Never discard the possibility, the existing one may face the same fate. It is also naïve for Anak Keningau to advise Sabahans by going through the right channel and voicing our grievances’ through the elected rep. Doesn’t Anak Keningau know that all elected rep is selected and approved by the centre? This means that those elected rep that does not toe the line or does not work for the benefit of the centre will not be selected as candidates in the first place? Is it not possible for the centre to do this?

Remember who put the rotation of “our CM” in the first place at the expense of disregarding our Sabah constitution, the TYT and the state legislative assembly? It is obvious, when orang Malaya wants something, they will be your best buddies but when they got what they want, they will throw you away like some soiled cloth. They have done this many times to our late Tun Datu Mustapha, perhaps they will do the same thing to the present leaders when they are no longer useful. Just wait and see how many present elected reps are dropped in the next election.

This is why, in Sabah today “the people have the right to vote but not the right to choose”. Our right to choose has been taken by leaders in Malaya. In this context, leaders in Sabah may destroy and depleted its richness and resources for the benefit of those in Malaya. Otherwise their term in office is over.

Why the need to impose sales tax on palm oil Fresh Fruit Bunch by MPOB in Sabah when there is not enough cooking oil in Malaya. Why penalize Sabah and Sabahans such as levies on foreign laborers and fomema. Why do a ringgit spent in Kuala Lumpur gives one ringgit of value but a ringgit spent in Kota Kinabalu is only valued at seventy cent? Why does the price of chicken goes up one ringgit in Malaya, the whole world knows about it but when the price of chicken rises five ringgit in Sabah nobody cares.

If the majority of students, police officers, civil servants, armed forces, plantation investors or tourism operators from other parts of Malaya refuse to come to Sabah, it will not make any difference. Just take a good look at Sarawak. Perhaps Sabah can become a much better place to live in. Racism was unheard of in Sabah until orang Malaya came; disunity, hypocrisy, corruption is unknown in Sabah until it was introduced. If the central government stops people from Malaya coming to Sabah, they will definitely save a lot of money from unnecessary expenses. Imagine the cost of transfer allowance from Malaya to Sabah, the housing subsidies and regional allowances that is paid to them. Instead of creating closer rapport and cohesion these actions creates discrimination and discontent amongst the locals. Are Sabahans so undependable that even office boy and drivers have to be imported from Malaya?

Students from Malaya or for that matter from all over the world will flock to Sabah to study if the university is academically excellent and teaching staffs are credible and academically prominent. Just ask some parents why do they want to pay so much money sending their children overseas to study?

Is it not a police officer that is now in trouble within the force for having huge tract of land in Sabah? When we have to buy or fight to own a piece of our land. Is this his payment to rid of all the squatters in Pulau Gaya and hide them in Talipok? With all the police officers and Arm forces in Sabah, how is it that our borders are still porous? Does Sabah need to give up more land to more orang Malaya to ensure our border is impenetrable?

Look at what “plantation investors” has done to Sabah? Are they really helping Sabah to progress or are they doing the same thing as what European plantation investors did to Malaya during the British rule? If this is the extent of their sincerity in helping Sabah progress, if this is their perception of one country, one nation but in the process treating Sabahans worse than step brothers and sisters, then sad to say Sabah and Sabahans do not need them.

As Anak Keningau admitted, to get the VC position is all a matter of playing good political game rather than being an outstanding and credible academic. A Sabahan will always be passed over not because he is unqualified but because a true Sabahan will not grovel nor become a hypocrite just to gain a position. It’s a small wonder in the world ranking all Malaysian Universities are below the 200 position. Perhaps it is because all Universities in Malaysia are headed by aspiring politicians who knows how to grovel and “kow tow” but missing a lot of grey matters. In this, my sympathies to all parents who cannot afford to send their children overseas yet still have to pay expensive Universities fee and to their children for attending substandard institutions of higher learning.

Perhaps in order for a university in Sabah to excel, we need a committed Sabahan to lead this fine institution. Orang Malaya in Sabah is not dedicated or committed to improve the university. Their sole purpose in Sabah is only to enjoy the privileges, perks and get a Datukship. It is appropriate since Sabah and Sabahans had invested a lot of land, money and efforts to ensure this university was established. Twice a Sabahan was by-passed as VC yet until today the university has not shown academic excellence or become an outstanding institution of higher learning in the country or in the region. If Malaya is really sincere in ensuring Sabah can achieve excellent academic progress, then give a Sabahan a chance to lead the university. Perhaps orang Malaya cannot stand it when a Sabahan succeed where they failed miserably.