KUALA LUMPUR – Former Sg Benut MP Tawfik Tun Ismail intends to bridge the gap between Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak through the formation of his Malaysia First Movement.
The main goal of Tawfik’s movement is to pursue national integration, particularly in the form of enhancing communications between the peninsula and Borneo states.
“We are also trying to accommodate some of the more contentious issues like calls for secession by the people of Sabah and Sarawak. We, of course, also aim to try and understand each other’s aspirations better,” Tawfik told The Vibes.
Some of the early initiatives from the Malaysia First movement includes a petition for remote voting in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as lobbying to reward former chief justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum for his services.
“I think the title of Tun goes a long way for his service as chief justice. This would show the recognition of his position as a leader of one of the arms of government,” Tawfik explained.
As to how Malaysia could bridge the gap between the peninsula and Borneo states, Tawfik believes it all starts in schools.
This could be done by educating students on the highlights of the federation’s history, the constitution as well as the rights and privileges awarded to Sabah and Sarawak through the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Tawfik pointed out that his late father, former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, was supposed to review the MA63 in 1973. However, he died before it could happen.
“Since then, the government has been silent (on MA63). The previous prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, more or less tried to divide and rule. This philosophy more less contributed to the backwardness that the people of Sabah and Sarawak feel has been inflicted upon them,” Tawfik said.
On whether the infighting within political coalitions, particularly Perikatan Nasional (PN) would affect the federal government’s relationship with Sabah and Sarawak, Tawfik pointed out that federal governments of the past have been propped up by support from East Malaysians.
“If the people of Sabah and Sarawak don’t get what they are fighting for, they must make Putrajaya accountable,” he added.
Plus, when asked if the Sabah state election results are an indication of Sabah’s approval of PN, Tawfik explained that things are not so black and white.
Tawfik highlighted that tribal sentiment still exists in Sabah, and these sentiments must be understood before comprehending the mindset of voters there.
“It is difficult to analyse the Sabah results in black and white terms. There are a lot of tribal sentiments to consider before understanding the voting there,” Tawfik said.
Then, he also commented on Putrajaya’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly the procurement of the vaccines.
“I think in cases like this, we need to look at the science rather than the politics. I think it is a little bit of a mystery why we are getting the vaccine later than Indonesia and Singapore.
“And are we handcuffed by the sentiments of religious departments like Jakim over the vaccine, who have no experience in managing a pandemic like this,” Tawfik added.
On Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s simultaneous imposition of a movement control order (MCO) and emergency, Tawfik was puzzled this happened in a short time frame.
“The coincidence of events like that, makes you wonder if it is a vehicle of convenience or a necessary instrument,” he added.
Tawfik pointed out that other countries, which declared emergencies to tackle the pandemic, did not respond by suspending their respective legislatures.
He added that such countries usually convene their legislatures to discuss methods on battling the virus.
“I don’t think our legislature should be shackled,” Tawfik said.
He went on to say, for Malaysia to move forward, the country must “chart a more meaningful and respectful course to ensure everyone’s rights under the constitution are observed”.
“Given the majority of the electorate are Malays, we need to convince them not to be negative about the rights of others. We need to ensure our nation can move forward where Malays can also benefit,” he explained. – The Vibes, January 14, 2021
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