KOTA KINABALU: Leaders from Malaya and their Sabah representatives should stop deceiving the people of Sabah and Sarawak by claiming that calls for secession is seditious and against the Constitution.
Saying this is to prevent Sabah and Sarawak from leaving the Federation of Malaysia, STAR Sabah chief Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan referred to the Singapore pull-out in 1965.
“If secession is seditious and or against the Constitution, why was it Singapore was allowed to secede barely two years after the formation? Shouldn’t the Singapore leaders then be charged for sedition if it was seditious?” he asked.
He pointed out that not only did the federal government allow Singapore to leave the federation, they even signed the “agreement of separation” with Singapore before the motion to approve the departure was tabled in Parliament on 9th August 1965.
“The federal Parliament was merely asked to endorse and rubber-stamp the departure.
“Obviously, they were not charged and Singapore was allowed to go separate ways because as said by Lord Lansdowne, Chairman of the IGC: “… any State voluntarily entering a federation had an intrinsic right to secede at will, and that it was, therefore, unnecessary to include it in the Constitution.”
“Nowhere is it stated in the Federal Constitution that Sabah and Sarawak are not allowed to secede,” said Dr Jeffrey.
He pointed out that the people of Sabah and Sarawak know for a fact that Sabah and Sarawak were taken for a ride and cheated outright in the formation of Malaysia.
“They also know that Malaya needs Sabah and Sarawak more than the other way round and without the two State’s oil wealth, Malaya and Malaysia would go bankrupt well before 2019 given its current national debt of about RM700 billion,” he added.
Responding to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s claim during an interview with the media here over the weekend, that the Federal Constitution does not allow for secession, Dr Jeffrey who is also Bingkor Assemblyman contended that Pakatan leaders should not be following in Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders’ footsteps.
“If they wish to have a good chance of taking over Putrajaya in the next general elections, they would need the support of Sabah and Sarawak to achieve this.
“Instead of following the Umno BN dictatorial regime, a diplomatic and consultative approach would be a better option to persuade Sabahans and Sarawakians to remain in the Federation,” he contended.
Dr Jeffrey reiterated that Sabah and Sarawak nationalists and activists are not seeking secession but restoration of the legitimate rights, privileges and autonomy of the Borneo States that were taken away or eroded since 1963.
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