Brunei’s Party Rakyat accuses North Borneo Govt of being pro-Malaysia
Published on: Thursday, November 01, 1962
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The Party has sent a letter of protest to the Secretary of State for the Colonial Affairs, according to a press statement issued by the Party headquarters here.
The letter stated that the North Borneo Government Officers showed lack of hospitality to three leaders. This, the statement said, aroused a “feeling of unrest” at the Jesselton Airport on October 25.
Those involved were Inche Hapdiz Laksamana, representative of Party Rakyat and member of the Brunei Legislative Council, Inche Akin bin Abd. Ghani Treasurer of Tutong Branch of the Party and a Legislative Councillor, and Inche Abdullah Jafaar, a member of Legislative Council from the Brunei District.
The statement added that copies of the letter, signed by Inche Hapdiz Laksamana, would be sent to the Governor of North Borneo, British High Commissioner in Brunei, Speaker of the Legislative Council of Brunei, permanent Secretary to the Solidarity Committee of Afro-Asian nation’s in Cairo.
Three copies would also be circulated to members of party Rakyat who are members of District and Legislative Councils. The statement said: “Because this attitude is without a precedent Party Rakyat of Brunei in its cable of protest has requested the Governor of North Borneo to apologise to the Party and especially to those involved in the incident”.
The statement recalled that on October 17 Government officers in London showed similar attitude to three party leaders who visited the Island.
The three leaders involved in that incident were Inche Jassin Affandy, Secretary-General and a member of the State Council, Inche Othman Abd Latif, Head of Central Information Service of the Party and a member of District Council, and Inche Lakim bin Bakar, a member of District Council. The three leaders were not allowed to stay in Labuan for more than two hours though they intended to stay there until October 19.
The Party statement commented: It is difficult to understand the North Borneo Government’s attitude and action regarding the matter. In fact, there are continuous visits by delegations from the Alliance Party of Malaya, which is pro-Malaysia.
“They come and go freely without any, hindrance from the Government of North Borneo but when leaders of Party Rakyat visit their home land - Sabah, they are not given freedom as given to the delegations of the Malayan alliance Party.
“They were at all time being pressed and hindered as has happened to a number of party Rakyat leaders recently”, the Party statement alleged.
The statement said: “In addition to the discriminatory attitude shown by the Government of North Borneo, this attitude has also created doubts regarding Government’s intention for such attitude.
“Why are the Party Rakyat leaders treated badly and pressed by the Government of North Borneo, when they visit Sabah?
Is it because they are anti-Malaysia or because of its fear of the influence of leaders of the Party Rakyat of Brunei? Why is it that leaders of the Malayan Alliance party, who had made numerous visits to Sabah had been provided with facilities and freedom?
It is because they are pro-Malaysia?” the statement asked. The statement added that the attitude of North Borneo Government towards leaders of Party Rakyat of Brunei did not stimulate confidence or benefit to he people of North Borneo but would bring about great loss because they have adopted themselves too much of the attitude of the Government of Malaysia which would be established by them.
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