KOTA KINABALU – Opposition outfit United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) wants Umno to prepare for the renegotiation of the country’s federal set-up in the event the Malay-based party wants to amend the federal constitution to step up shariah law in Malaysia.
President Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said Umno may as well make Sabah and Sarawak autonomous, instead of just amending the federal constitution to enhance the religious law.
“If Umno wants to unilaterally amend the federal constitution to expand the shariah law, then it must also be prepared for a full renegotiation of the federal set-up for Malaysia so that Sabah and Sarawak can gain more autonomy.
“Not only is the Federation of Malaya established as a secular federation – where Islam, as the ‘religion of the federation’, plays only ceremonial roles – but Sabah and Sarawak, which have never been part of the negeri-negeri Melayu, proudly embrace their diverse ethnic and religious heritage.”
The Tuaran MP, in a joint statement with Upko deputy president Datuk Donald Mojuntin and vice-president Datuk Ewon Benedick, said no party should mistake Malaysia as an expansion of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu.
He added that Umno must remember that Malaysia was formed in 1963 via a merger of four nations – the independent Federation of Malaya, and three former British colonies, namely North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore.
“The commitment for a liberal and secular society is reflected in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and enshrined in the federal constitution, which all parliamentarians have sworn to uphold.
“Let us not forget the Batu Bersumpah in Keningau, Sabah.
“For the natives of the state, the social contract of becoming Malaysian is a two-way traffic – loyalty for Malaysia is premised upon the guarantee of religious freedom.
“Constitutional changes involving the fundamental character of the Federation of Malaysia must be a packaged deal. A social contract cannot be changed in a lopsided way.
“If Malaya wants to be more shariah-governed, then Sabah and Sarawak must be autonomous.”
Had the forefathers of Sabah and Sarawak – comprising animists, agnostics, atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Taoists – been told that their countries would become part of an Islamic federation, where personal sins would be slapped with heavy shariah punishments, they would have rejected the formation of Malaysia, the statement read.
“There would not have been a Malaysia. Malaya would have remained just Malaya.
“We are not Malaya, and we do not think like Malayans.”
It said East Malaysians will not accept false assurances that they will not be affected by the expansion of the shariah law, which is said to be limited to only the Malayan states.
“As a result of regional imbalances in development after 58 years in Malaysia, more and more Sabahans and Sarawakians are now living in Malaysia.
“Their lifestyle is affected by Islamisation in Malaysia.
“The Allah ban is the best proof why we must not believe propaganda by certain Bornean leaders that ‘let Malaya do what they want, Sabah and Sarawak can stay unchanged’.”
Upko urges Sabah Umno, as well as Sabah Bersatu, PBS and STAR, to stand with the rest of East Malaysia in defending the rights, freedom and lifestyle of Borneo. – The Vibes, March 29, 2021
