KOTA KINABALU – Some leaders’ silence on state rights after coming to power is a worrying indication that Sabah is turning back into a “subservient vassal state”, said a local non-governmental organisation.
Cleftus Spine Mojingol of Pertubuhan Kebudayaan Rumpun Dayak Sabah said the state is steadily losing its voice again, and there is a dire need to push for new leaders on the political stage.
“Those who were once outspoken in safeguarding Sabah’s rights and in standing up to the condescending federal government have mellowed down.
“Sarawak, and even Kelantan, leaders, on the contrary, have become more assertive on state rights, especially when it comes to oil and gas, as compared with Sabah.
“We do not want Sabah to become the ‘Federal Territory of Sabah’, where central leaders treat the state as their milking cow.”
He did not name the Sabah leaders, but appeared to be referring to the likes of Sabah Star president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, who is now deputy chief minister II, Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili (minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs) and Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee (nominated assemblyman, and chairman of the state-owned POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd, the developer of the Lahad Datu Palm Oil Industrial Cluster).
All three were known to be vocal in their fight for state rights.
In an interview with The Vibes recently, Parti Warisan Sabah president and former chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal criticised the silence of leaders in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration on the matter.
Jeffrey, in response, said he has continued to push for Sabahans’ rights as stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 from within the government.
Unlike Sabah, said Mojingol, Sarawak has regained much following its constant pressure on Putrajaya.
“We also want more concrete legal actions from both the federal administration and Sabah leaders, including coming up with a fair settlement on oil and gas claims by Sabah, just like what Sarawak did with Petronas.
“If it means we have to challenge the Petroleum Development Act 1974, which never had the explicit consent of the Sabah assembly, then by all means, we have to go for a certain court declaration.”
He added that Pakatan Harapan failed to realise its assurance of a hike in oil royalty for Sabah from the current 5% to 20% when the coalition held federal power.
The matter was also never discussed by the current Perikatan Nasional administration, but used by the pact’s ally, GRS, to gain political mileage before going on to win the Sabah election on September 26 last year, said Mojingol.
“Sabah leaders should not attempt to hoodwink the people by claiming the state will get this and that in the next (few) years, when nothing is being done now to re-regulate the roles of Petronas and the state on oil and gas found in Sabah.
“One reason that Sabah and the majority of Sabahans continue to languish in poverty is the continuous looting of the state’s natural resources.”
Corruption, too, is denying Sabahans the wealth they deserve, he said. – The Vibes, March 29, 2021
