The United Borneo Front (UBF) believes that, for Sabah,
celebrating Malaysia Day on 16th September is meaningless, hollow and empty
because the special rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak as agreed,
promised and assured by the Founding Fathers of Malaysia are not fulfilled.
In a statement here, UBF’s Chairman, Datuk Dr. Jeffrey
Kitingan said that the Founding Fathers of Malaysia from the Borneo States took
great risks to agree and to be pushed and rushed into the merger with Malaya
and Singapore to the extent of denying themselves (the Borneo States) the
opportunity to attain political maturity first and to enjoy the freedom and
practice of self-rule as what is now enjoyed by Brunei.
“This is despite the fact that opinions and assessments from
various quarters involved in the negotiations gave a clear warnings about
proposed merger,” he said. “As proof, according to British documents released
recently, Sir William Goode (last Governor of British North Borneo) and Waddle
(British Representative in Singapore) insisted in no uncertain term ‘that
Borneo is not ready for self-government, which they fear would turn out to be
an unequal partnership between the Borneo Horse and the Malayan Rider. They
warned of dangers of shortgun marriage… None of the territories (Sarawak, North
Borneo and Brunei) would be ready for self-government earlier than 1970’ and
‘All territories, Brunei, North Borneo and Sarawak were ‘unfited’ to enter
Malaysia on the basis of popular representation.’ Sel Kirk (British High
Commissioner based in Singapore) gave Sarawak about 10 years, and North Borneo
at least 20 years before a clear cut electoral opinion would be given on this
subject.”
Jeffrey also pointed out that Lord Cobbold, Chairman of the
Cobbold Commission, even warned that “It is necessary condition, from the
outset, that Malaysia shall be regarded by all concerned as an association of
partners combining in the common interest to create a new nation but retaining
their own individualities.” Jeffrey made the reminder that the Cobbold
Commission formed by the United Nation sent to assess the feelings of the
people of North Borneo and Sarawak reported that only one third of Sabahans
agreed to the join the formation of Malaysia.
He said that Tun Fuad (then Donald) Stephens himself
expressed his concerns in a letter to Tunku Abdul Rahman (before the formation
of Malaysia): “If we had been asked to join Malaysia at the time Malaya
achieved independence and Britain made it possible for us, the story would have
been a different one. Now that ‘Merdeka’ has been Malaya’s for some years, and
we are still struggling towards it, Malaya’s proposal that we join as the 12th,
13th and 14th states savours of imperialism, of a drive to turn us into Malayan
colonies.... to join Malaya, while we are still colonies... the implication is
to hand (ourselves) over to your control.” Then, to the Straits Times, Tun Fuad
wrote: “We are against joining Malaysia as individual States, and want the
Borneo territories to get together, so that when we talk with Malaya, it will
be as equal partners and not as vassals..., and if we join Malaya now, the
people who will come and take most of the top jobs will be Malayan... the new
expatriates...”
“Doubts and concerns expressed by the Borneo leaders to the
status of Sabah and Sarawak in the Federation were subsequently addressed by
Tunku Abdul Rahman and his team when they agreed to take into consideration the
20-Points conditions,” Jeffrey said. “The Tunku assured that ‘The granting of
self-government too would enable Sabah to stand on its own feet as equal with
Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore’ and ‘The important aspects of the Malaysia
Ideal, as I see it, is that it will enable the Borneo territories to transform
their present colonial status to ‘self-government’ for themselves and absolute
independence in Malaysia simultaneously..’”
“He also assured us that ‘The days of imperialism are gone
and it is not the intention of Malaya to perpetuate or revive them,” Jeffrey
added. “When the Borneo territories become part of Malaysia, they will cease to
be colonies, they will be partners of equal status, no more or less than the
other states.’ By ‘other states’ he meant the other state entities of Malaya,
Singapore and Sarawak.”
“Thus what eventually convinced the Borneo States leaders to
form Malaysia beside the question of security, were the assurances that the
merger would be that of equal partnership of the signatory States (Malaya,
Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak) to the Malaysia Agreement, the autonomy and
special rights accorded to Sabah and Sarawak under the 20-Points,
Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report and the Malaysia Agreement itself,”
he said.
“Have all these agreements, promises and assurances been
fulfilled? Is Sabah now secure and enjoying ‘absolute independence’ in
Malaysia? Are we now in control of our economic resources, our political
franchise and our future?” Jeffrey asked. “If the answer is ‘No’ then what are
we celebrating on the 16th of September? We might as well regard 16th September
as a ‘Sad Day’ to remember the day we ended freedom and independence to be
taken over and re-colonized by Malaya.”
He said it is ironic that on August 31, 1963, two weeks
before the formation of Malaysia, Sabah was granted independence from the
British to which Sir William Goode declared that “Today is a historic day for
Sabah. It marks the beginning of self-government and independence and the end
of colonialism.”
“As such, if anything at all, let September 16th be an
occasion to reflect and review our position in the Federation of Malaysia and
find a solution to save a potentially fragile nation from breaking apart,”
Jeffrey said. “Our State political leaders should use this occasion to rise
above partisan political interest, from fighting for self-interest in the name
of development to one committed to the larger interest of Sabah and Sarawak and
for the future well-being of the peoples of the Borneo states.”
“Now is the time to do this. Let’s not accept the offensive
tag as mere ‘fixed deposits’ states,” he said. “Let us instead be the
kingmakers and the ones to decide who will take Putrajaya after the next
election, and who will fulfill the forgotten promises of 1963.”
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Source : UBF
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