Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee threw his weight behind Parti Star President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan in the latter’s’ critique of peninsula parties participating in Sabah’s elections.
“The statement by Jeffrey, emphasising the need to exclude Malayan parties from Sabah resonates with the growing sentiment among Sabahans that administering Sabah should be left to Sabahans and local parties,” said Yong, who is Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Deputy Chairman.
“Is it merely coincidence that all the YBs (MPs and assembly members) who abruptly withdrew their 2021 lawsuit against the Federal Government over Sabah’s 40 per cent tax revenue entitlement were from Pakatan Harapan (PH)?
“Is it also coincidental that none of the Malayan parties voiced support for the proposal to allocate 35 per cent parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak as per MA63?” asked Yong.
He said these were just two examples of the subservience of Sabahans in so-called “national” parties to their Malayan masters.
“This reflects the unfortunate political reality: Sabah leaders in these so-called ‘national parties’ are constrained by the lopsided power equation that favours Kuala Lumpur.
“This lopsided dynamic has allowed the ‘national parties’ to undermine Sabah’s constitutional autonomy as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.
Yong said SAPP has consistently maintained that Sabah’s elections should be the sole domain of Sabah’s local parties.
“Let us remind ourselves that Malaya has changed. Malaysia has changed and so has Sabah. Over the years, Sabahans have gradually but determinedly moved towards demanding greater autonomy. This momentum began in 2008, with the emergence of a ‘Window of Opportunity’ when BN lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament.
“This momentum for autonomy gained traction after BN-Umno’s historic loss of federal power in 2018,” he said.
He said SAPP has been optimistic that this marked the beginning of a new era in Malaysian federalism, the paths of which were uncertain.
“However, by now in 2024, the reality is clearer: Both Sabah and Sarawak are demanding greater autonomy and a larger share of our resources.
“The clamour for the full implementation of MA63 has grown louder as Sabahans grow increasingly sick and tired of external interference and manipulation.”
He noted that in December 2022, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim gave the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) committee a deadline of one month to resolve the issue.
Yet, 24 months have passed.
“Instead, the Federal Government’s repeated appeals to the Sabah Law Society’s judicial review over Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue entitlement appear to be a delaying tactic, biding time for Malayan parties to seize power in Sabah in the coming state elections.
“If that happens, what would become of Sabah’s autonomy and MA63?”
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