KOTA KINABALU: The culture of “Demonstrasi Jalanan” (street demonstrations) from outside should not be brought into Sabah as it is not part of the State’s political culture.
Bangkit Sabahan 2.0 adviser Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said Sabahans have their own way of managing political differences and do not need outsiders to dictate how politics should be conducted in the State.
“There should not be street demonstrations. This is not our culture. Let that culture remain in Peninsular Malaysia and do not bring it to Sabah.
“We are not being racist, but we want to preserve Sabah’s more harmonious political culture,” he said during the Bangkit Sabahan 2.0 gathering here on Saturday.
Zulkarnain said several incidents in the past, including the burning of posters and acts of provocation during the Matunggong issue, showed that such practices were incompatible with Sabah’s political environment.
“I watched the live broadcast of the incident from the very beginning and I saw that the provocation came first. This kind of culture must be stopped and should not be allowed to spread to Sabah,” he said.
He also supported barring any outsiders found attempting to provoke or belittle Sabah.
“There is no need to teach us how to do politics. Sabah has gone through many political experiences and we know how to manage our own State,” he said.
Commenting on the gathering, Zulkarnain said it was not intended to demonstrate strength but to send a clear message that Sabahans reject street demonstrations as a means of pressing demands.
He claimed the gathering attracted about 600 participants compared to around 20 at the other group’s assembly.
“This is not about showing that we have bigger numbers or that we are more successful. Our purpose is to send a message that Sabahans reject the culture of street demonstrations.
“If Sabahans wanted to stage demonstrations, we could also gather and march in the streets. But what for? The election is over.
“Now is the time to earn a living and develop the State, not to take to the streets,” he said.
He also questioned the purpose of holding demonstrations to pressure the authorities, stressing that the legal process should be respected.
“We have the courts and we have the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). If you do not trust the courts and do not trust the MACC, then who do you trust?
“That is the main message we want to convey through this gathering and to express our disappointment.
“This is because when similar demonstrations were organised previously, we did not hold a counter-gathering, and an incident that had never happened before in Sabah occurred, namely the burning of posters,” he said.
