Borneo coalition a better option: Jeffrey
Published on: Monday, June 17, 2013
Kota Kinabalu: There is no necessity for the MPs from Sabah and Sarawak to meet with other leaders in Kuala Lumpur to lead or even assist in securing the restoration of the rights of the Borneo states or even to ask for ministerial positions in the Federal Government, said Star Sabah Chief Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.Responding to reports claiming MPs from Sabah and Sarawak were meeting up with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is said to be trying to get elected as Prime Minister when Parliament convenes on June 24, Dr Jeffrey said:"The position of MPs from Sabah and Sarawak as 'Kingmakers' had been clear-cut in the political tsunami of 2008 and in the 13th general election, more so in the latter, where Prime Minister Najib has had no choice but to appoint 21 Ministers and deputies from the Borneo states. ADVERTISEMENT "Even then, as there were subsequent disgruntlements from MPs in Sarawak, the PM had promised to make further Cabinet changes to accommodate other MPs from Sabah and Sarawak after the Umno elections later this year."The people of Borneo need to shed and discard their old mentality, which has been wrongly cast by decades of propaganda and brain washing, to depend and rely on leaders from Malaya."In a statement here Sunday, Dr Jeffrey said with due respect to Tengku Razaleigh (better known as Ku Li), who is not only eminently qualified and experienced to lead Malaysia and probably will do a better job as Prime Minister than many from Umno, he is in the wrong party and the wrong coalition. "The BN coalition is not a true coalition but a grouping monopolised by Umno and with priority and biasness towards Malayan-based parties and neglecting Borneo parties," he said.ADVERTISEMENT In this respect, he said there can be no explanation other than pure biasness for not giving ministerial positions to SPDP who have four MPs compared to MIC with four ministerial positions for all its four MPs or for Gerakan with its sole representative.He said the Prime Minister and Umno and the Sabah, Sarawak parties and their 47 MPs need to remember that without the four MPs from MIC and one from Gerakan, BN will still form the Federal Government.
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However, on the other hand, if the Sabah, Sarawak parties abandoned BN without even joining Pakatan, there will be a change of the Umno/BN federal government, he said."This point is not lost when Ku Li did not pass up the opportunity to meet with the Sabah and Sarawak MPs who are not only kingmakers but also hold the trump card to change the PM. That is the strength of Sabah and Sarawak in the current political equation in Malaysia."There is no necessity for Sabah, Sarawak MPs to be diplomatic, let alone beg to be given ministerial positions. "Just lay the cards on the table and openly demand for their rightful positions in the Federal Cabinet. "These ministerial positions are not the possessions of Umno or their Malayan counterparts but equally belong to the Borneo states as equal partners in Malaysia, more so when these seats are needed for Umno/BN to remain as the Federal Government," he said.He added that their demands should not stop at just ministerial positions. "The MPs from Sabah and Sarawak need to realise that they have been elected by their own people and have a moral and legal obligation to safeguard and protect their homeland, Sabah and Sarawak, as well as to fulfil the legitimate expectations of their electorate. "These obligations and expectations include the restoration of the rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak, the return of the oil revenue and resources and to bring about development. "They need to ensure that for every ringgit spent on Malaya, a minimal equivalent ringgit is spent on Sabah and Sarawak and for every kilometre of road built in Malaya, another kilometre is built in Sabah and Sarawak and the basic amenities should be upgraded within the next five years to bring them on par with Malayan standards. "This minimal equivalent is already a big concession to Malaya considering the lop-sided development for the past 50 years and the RM35 billion oil revenue taken from Sarawak and another RM18 billion taken from Sabah yearly," he said.Dr Jeffrey said that a better option for the MPs from Sabah and Sarawak was to abandon BN and to be united as a Borneo coalition and to forge a genuine partnership with their counterparts from Malaya to form the Malaysian federal government and not be dictated by Umno or their Malayan counterparts. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"There is no better alternative to a UNITED BORNEO ALLIANCE to safeguard the rights, autonomy and future of the Borneo States. Then, the true spirit of the formation of Malaysia would be respected and the intentions of the founding fathers of Malaysia fulfilled," he said.