Today’s confirmation by the Office of the Attorney General in Switzerland that it has opened acriminal prosecution against the banking group UBS, over suspected money-laundering on behalf of Musa Aman, looks set to cause an awkward diplomatic upset for the UK.
After all, the royal couple Wills and Kate are right now packing their bags to give Musa a friendly visit!
Sarawak Report first exposed back in May the evidence that the Sabah Chief Minister has taken tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks for issuing licences to chop down what remains of Sabah’s rain forests.
And we have laid out damning details of the money laundering operation conducted by the Musa and his associates through UBS accounts in a number of articles.
Details of bank statements and of the official investigations by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission and also the Hong Kong authorities into the affair were made public in our series of exposes and the evidence was sent to Switzerland, where the Bruno Manser Fund requested the prosecution against UBS.
Yet, despite this mounting evidence, UK officials have refused to heed warnings against the planned visit to the state by the British heir to the throne and his new wife.
The visit is due to take place between September 11-19th, as part of a Royal Tour of the Commonwealth in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60th year on the throne. They will also be visiting Singapore and the Solomon Islands.
Photo-opportunity?
Great publicity – but could it now all backfire?
To begin with the choice of Sabah might have seemed perfect publicity for the environment conscious Royal Family. After all the trip is being promoted as an “exotic visit to the Borneo Jungle”.
Just in the past few hours the British presshas printed exciting details of plans to feature the Prince and his wife looking daring in lush forest canopies and cuddling up to cute baby orang-utans.
Given Musa’s energetic ‘greenwash’ PR of recent months, the objective has been to praise Musa for ‘slowing’ Sabah’s rate of deforestation, according to UK officials. They are accepting claims that he now wants to protect what is left of the jungle.
However, for months Sarawak Report has been warning the Royal Palace and the British Foreign Office against becoming associated with Musa Aman’s new campaign to present Sabah as an eco-friendly state, when in fact the Danum Valley Reserve which they will be visiting is a small oasis in one of the world’s worst environmental disaster zones and the Chief Minister is still selling concessions for kickbacks throughout the state.
Sarawak Report has also warned that proof of Musa Aman’s timber corruption is now in the public domain, showing how the destruction of Sabah’s jungle since the early 1990s has largely been driven by his own greed, first as the Head of Yayasan Sabah (The Sabah Foundation which is the trustee of its national forests) and then as the Chief Minister.
There is evidence that over US$90million dollars have been money-laundered through accounts associated with Aman and his key conspirators, a family friend Michael Chia and the Sabah lawyer Richard Christopher Barnes.
For these reasons Sarawak Report has repeatedly pleaded against the Royal Couple being encouraged to endorse a man whose criminality has ruined the jungle that they say they want to see protected!
This is a photo-opportunity that could go badly wrong.
Why endorse a suspected criminal?
Musa and his forest Chief Sam Manan altered the contour maps to allow logging of these once protected steep mountain areas of the state
Despite warnings from Sarawak Report just last week that Switzerland was about to launch its criminal prosecution over Musa’s money, the British High Commission is allowing this visit to proceed!
This opens the Royal Couple to charges of complete hypocrisy. They will of course be staying in pure luxury in the jungle resort in Danum Valley (a project sponsored by the world’s largest palm oil company, Malaysia’s government-controlled Sime Darby, while all around them millions of hectares of oil palm plantations are still being rolled out by their corrupted hosts.
The questionable judgement of such a visit is made even more severe by its timing, just as Malaysia approaches a crucial election.
What business has Britain to give such an endorsement to a notoriously corrupted and autocratic government, which has remained in power for longer than almost any other in the world?
After 50 years, who can still argue that BN has not cheated or bribed its way to its various ‘election successes’? Furthermore, evidence shows that more money is being stolen from the public in Malaysia and secreted out to foreign bank accounts, like Musa’s, than in practically any other country in the world.
Yet, it seems the royal advisors on this tour are preferring to present a lie rather than cancel the trip or upset their corrupted host, the Chief Minister of Sabah. They would rather the Royal Couple shake the hand through which a hundred million dollars of timber corruption money has passed than take a stand against the forces of corruption that are destroying Borneo!
Eco-friendly? Musa has just signed over 1/3 of Sabah’s forest reserve to ‘mosaic plantations’. He is selling off the licences in return for kickbacks
Most of that money has been stolen from the poor people of the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, whose natural resources have been filched by their politicians, while they have been left in the deepest poverty.
At a time when Malaysia is at last waking up to these shocking truths and when the opposition parties are defying persecution and abuses against them to present for the first time some kind of real challenge to BN’s forces of oppression, is it right for Britain to prop them up with such a high profile visit by its as yet untainted young royal couple?
The cries in Malaysia and even in Musa’s own BN party in Sabah are now becoming deafening for his removal and his position is more precarious than ever.
How he will thank William and Kate, for stretching out their hands and offering him just the lifeline he needed with this visit and their silly praises for his greenwash PR about the ‘eco-friendly’ policies of Sabah.
(BERN, SWITZERLAND). Switzerland’s Attorney General has opened a criminal case against UBS, the Swiss banking group, over suspected money-laundering of timber corruption proceeds from the Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo. This has been confirmed today by the Office of the Attorney General in the Swiss capital, Bern.
The case against UBS was opened on 29th August 2012, following a criminal complaint by the Bruno Manser Fund over the bank’s close ties with Musa Aman, Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Musa Aman and his nominees have been accused of laundering over 90 million US dollars of corruption proceeds from the tropical timber business in Sabah, Borneo, through a number of UBS bank accounts in Hong Kong. Musa Aman also has a personal bank account with UBS in Zurich. According to the Bruno Manser Fund, UBS has failed to properly app
ly due diligence, as is required by law when dealing with Politically Exposed Persons (PEP). Musa Aman is not only head of the Sabah state government but also the brother of the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah Aman.The case is based on Switzerland’s tough anti-money-laundering legislation, which makes it a criminal offence for Swiss companies to be involved in laundering the proceeds of corruption and other crime in their worldwide activities.The Swiss case is hitting the Malaysian government at a critical moment, just two weeks before the announced visit of the British royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Duke and Duchess are planning to visit Sabah on 15th September 2012 in order to see the “largest remaining rainforest” at Danum Valley. Sabah’s head of government, Musa Aman, has personally benefited from the large-scale logging of the nearby tropical rainforests, one of the world’s most biodiverse habitats.
Do you guys know that there is NO Oil Refineries in Kelantan Sabah, Sarawak?
Do you guys know that there is one Oil Refinery (Shell) in Lutong, Miri but has to be close due to loses and thus making it impractical to still be put in operation 10 years ago?
Do you guys know that Malaysia’s first oil well was discovered by Shell on Canada Hill in Miri, Sarawak in 1910. Shell’s Miri No. 1 was spudded on 10 August that year, and began producing 83 barrels per day in December?
Do you guys know that we only have LNG Plant in Bintulu while the government has plan to built RM62 Billion Oil Refinery Plant in Johore, yes in Johore, how ironic is that?
Do you guys know that Terenganu has their Oil Refinery Plant
Do you guys know that oil and gas contractors from Sabah, Sarawak only allocated of 30% of various jobs and contracts (Downstream) by Petronas?
Do you guys know that Sarawak and Sabah produced petroleum earlier than Terengganu and Kelantan. History of Petroleum in Miri dated back to the early 1900’s?
Sabah and Sarawak are the big oil and gas producing states and yet we do not benefit as what we rightfully deserved?
This is not fair for Sabah,Sarawak especially when there are no development projects allocated by Petronas in Sabah,Sarawak. Our oil and gas has been siphoned away and exported
We should be looking at some positive development programs to help the Sabah, Sarawak economy and not by simply shipping out our valuable crude oil to a foreign refinery first, then we buy back the refined petrol at a high price. Don’t wait until our crude oil and natural petroleum gas to run dry, then only consider to set up the related oil and gas industry.
Anwar Ibrahim says Pakatan Rakyat will give 20% royalty to Sarawak Sabah while Dr. Jeffrey says it should be 50%. It is not up to Federal government to tell us how much they would like to give us of our own money earned through our own resource. It is up to Sarawak and Sabah to suggest how much to give the Federal Government!
For example, why can’t we get a good 4 lane trunk road for Sarawak? Air travel is not cheap in Sarawak. In Malaya such road is a norm. And as I said, do not come and tell me that Sarawak is sparsely populated and therefor difficult to develop because we have income from oil and gas if it is allocated fairly to meet Sarawak need.
What constitute the 5% royalty repatriation? Is it from revenue generated from our petroleum? Then who among us are sitting within Petronas management to oversee this? This is just like the sawit JV with big Malayan companies. They farm our land, yet not one of us sits as director or managers within those companies?
Not only we’re lacking in terms of infrastructures but Sabah, Sarawak is one of the poorest state in Malaysia? Dont talk about income per capita as the big gap betwen the rich and poor and if im not mistaken, Kelantan is among the poorest state too.
How ironic is that? We are RICH but yet we are POOR so my question is, who BENEFITS from all this?
Who own the biggest oil companies in Malaysia? Scomi- is Abdullah Bidawi’s son and Kencana is Tun Mahathir’s son. I am sure Najib is already creating another for his son after he changed the CEO of Petronas. It becomes apparent that Sarawak Sabah oil and gas is made the ‘fixed deposit” of Prime Ministers income through their children.
But Sarawak Government are totally silence on this issue. The BN Government continue to try and build good relationship with Federal Govt based on losses of income to Sarawak. What is the point? We hear of our state government begging for money to develop Sarawak when it should be rightfully in our hand, isn’t that comical?
Last but not least, the other shocking revelation that has come to my knowledge is that 80% of the oil produced by Petronas is not sold directly to the world market but is channelled through 6 OPTION HOLDERS who obtain the supply from Petronas at well below market prices (1974 prices to be exact). These option holders or agents are the ones reaping the benefits and huge profits in the oil price hikes.
Ps : Should i rant more everyday to wake and whack you guys up? SIGH!
Kalau Bukan Kita, Siapa Lagi? Kalau Bukan Sekarang, Bila Lagi? Ini Kali Lah!!
I have to admit, Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan is indeed a Maverick Politician and everyone has failed to understand his present move
Knowing that STAR Sabah is no way either in Heaven or Hell has the capabilities to fight agaisnt the Gigantic BN Machinery or the Mighty PR Warlords be it in the State or Parliament, he choose to play safe but yet a genius move when he choose to be in a position to leverage both PR and BN in the event of Hung Parliament (When neither BN or PR has an absolute majority of seats in the Parliament to form the Federal Government)
Sabah/Sarawak both plays a roles as King Maker for both BN and PR. Both need us to form the next Federal Government and we need to have this King – making role in order to pursue our rights
This tactical manevouring hatched by Dr Jeffrey is to ensure more bargaining power for the States agaisnt the Federal Government. What happen now was the Centralisation of Power to Federal while the State remain subservient to Federal.
Sabah has did this in 1980s through PBS Government but they fall from grace by dirty/undemocratic tactics by the all powerful Federal/Central government.
This is to protect / fights for the interests of Sabah, Sarawak vis a vis the 1963 Malaysia Agreement, 20/18 Points of Agreement, the Inter Governmental Committee Report and the Cobbold Commission report
What UBF (United Borneo Front), UBA (United Borneo Alliance), STAR Sabah trying to do is reviving Sabah Alliance which was the predecessor to BN Sabah.
Back in the 1963 – 1973, there was Alliance ( Malaya) lead by Tunku Abdul Rahman from UMNO, Sarawak Alliance lead by Stephen Kalong Ningkan from SNAP and Sabah Alliance lead by Tun Fuad Stephens from UPKO functioning as Equal Partner and when Barisan Nasional was form in 1973, both 3 Alliance being incorporated into 1, Barisan Nasional under the chairmanship of Tun Abdul Razak, the then 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia
Barisan Nasional was formed in 1973 as the natural evolution from Perikatan (UMNO, MCA and MIC), but expanding to include PPP, PAS and Gerakan who until that point were opposition but joined the broader Barisan Nasional after the May 13th 1969 events in the name of national interest with local parties in Sabah, Sarawak
It was also the beginning of the end of the earlier consulative/collective style of the earlier Perikatan style of governing. UMNO took a more dominant role more in keeping of the number of seats they held
From then on UMNO (with Tun Razak at the helm) moved to play a more dominant in the coalition. with seats having to be doled out so that the BN parties would not be competing with each other thus the beginning of another concept of Malayan Colonisation of Sabah, Sarawak in the name of Power Sharing.
Barisan Nasional is a legally registered party which all the other parties belong too. There is no vote in BN as far as I know. The president and deputy president of UMNO automatically become the Chairman and deputy chairman of BN
United Borneo Front – Kingmaker or Bust?
I must commend Jeffrey Kitingan for coming up with this grand idea/plan to finally thwart the ruling Umno. If everything falls into place, it will work. Yes, I’m saying Umno, because BN=Umno and Umno=BN .
Let us not pretend otherwise as all the other 14 component parties are just mere appendages of Umno. This brilliant idea can only of course work if Jeffrey’s war cry of ‘Unity is Duty’ is heeded by both Sabahans and Sarawakians alike.
In order to achieve this lofty goal many factors will have to be over come by Jeffrey’s group or party. In addition, many more factors must work in Jeffrey’s favour for the aspiration to come to fruitation.
With so many political parties and individuals trying their luck in this political jackpot, it suffice that as many ‘problems’ will arise.
The easier part will be to win substantial number of seats to render Umno-BN unable to form the government by itself.
The harder part will be to keep the coalition together. If the opposition were successful, will it be 2008 all over again or in Sabah’s case , 1994 rewind?
Umno has all the money (rakyat’s to be sure) to buy any politician. What can this loose amalgamation of people/political parties with different concept of ‘winning’ do to ensure that this ‘pakatan’ does not fall apart?
Your guess is as good as mine. What about making everyone in the opposition seeking to topple Umno/ BN come up with a written pledge to the rakyat that they will not be bought over by Umno if they win? It might get a couple more votes.
Meanwhile , best of luck Sabahans and Sarawakians!
Please read below article written by Raja Petra Kamarudin on 13th February 2011. I believe this should be a WAKE UP CALL for us Sabahans, Sarawakians :
PETALING JAYA: For a long time now, since 1963, Sabah and Sarawak have held the ‘key’ to Putrajaya. He who ‘holds’ Sabah and Sarawak, therefore, possesses this key.
This is mainly because Peninsular or West Malaysia controls only 74% or 165 of the 222 Parliament seats. The balance 26% or 57 Parliament seats are in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
And that was why Umno decided to go into Sabah in 1990 and aspire to also go into Sarawak if they could — but can’t as long as Chief Minister Taib Mahmud is still alive (which means they would probably do so once Taib is no longer around as Chief Minister).
The March 2008 general election proved this point very clearly. The 165 Parliament seats in Peninsular Malaysia were split almost 50:50 with 80 plus seats going to Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat each. It is because Barisan Nasional managed to win almost all the seats in East Malaysia that it got to form the federal government, yet again.
East Malaysia has always been treated as Barisan Nasional’s ‘fixed deposit’ or ticket to Putrajaya. Barisan Nasional does not deny this and, in fact, openly admitted that this is so. At least Barisan Nasional is honest about what ‘role’ Sabah and Sarawak are playing in the whole scheme of things — the role of ‘kingmaker’.
So what does that say about the importance of East Malaysia? By Barisan Nasional’s own admission, East Malaysia is the route to federal power. And East Malaysia is being treated as a means to ensure that Barisan Nasional gets to retain power.
This may not have been too apparent in the past. But the result of the March 2008 general election amplified this point and made it even clearer that no one gets to form the federal government, whether it is Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, unless they first figure out how to win (or retain) power in Sabah and Sarawak.
Sabahans and Sarawakians have finally woken up to this fact — not that many did not know this earlier. And those who may not have realised this earlier now do. You do not get to form the federal government without the support of East Malaysia. That is the simple and extremely clear fact.
The question now would be are Sabahans and Sarawakians prepared to continue to allow East Malaysia to be used as a mere stepping-stone to Putrajaya? Are they prepared to continue to be tools of federal or Kuala Lumpur-based political parties in their quest for power? Or do they now want to become equal partners in a political alliance that rules Malaysia as equal partners?
For too long Sabah and Sarawak have been treated as mere colonies. No doubt Sabah and Sarawak got their independence from Britain and in the same breath became part of Malaysia back in 1963 — and with this they ceased to be colonies of England. But did Sabah and Sarawak really shed their colony status or did they merely exchange one colonial master for another? Did they, as I have written many times before, get rid of the white colonial masters and merely swapped them with brown colonial masters?
Swapping one master for another
One misconception that must be corrected is that Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore did not ‘join’ Malaysia. Malaysia did not exist before 1963 so what was there to join? What really happened was that Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore agreed to team up with the Federation of Malaya as equal partners to form Malaysia.
What this means, therefore, is that Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were equal to Malaya, which at that time comprised of 11 states. Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were not equal to Selangor, Perak, Penang, Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, Pahang, etc. However, today, Sabah and Sarawak are being treated as just two more states in a Malaysia made up of 13 states.
And that was what Singapore could not accept, which resulted in Singapore eventually leaving Malaysia to become an independent republic. Singapore realised that it was not really getting independence after all. It was just swapping one colonial master for another. It was being downgraded from an equal partner to Malaya to just another of the 14 states of Malaysia, equal in status to one of the original 11 states of pre-Malaysia.
Sabah and Sarawak did not follow Singapore’s move of leaving Malaysia. That was because the leaders of Sabah and Sarawak, unlike the Singapore leaders, were compromised. And those who refused to be compromised were ousted or died mysterious deaths. Basically, the federal government had the Sabah and Sarawak leaders in its pocket. And these compromised leaders allowed the ‘backdoor’ re-colonisation of Sabah and Sarawak.
Sabah and Sarawak not only teamed up with Malaya to form Malaysia as equal partners but also on the basis of the 20-Point and 18-Point Agreements respectively. However, once the early leaders of Sabah and Sarawak were compromised, the 20-Point and 18-Point Agreements were pushed into the background and conveniently forgotten.
We need to look at these two Agreements again. And we need to not only look at them but also explore how the spirit of these Agreements can be restored. Whoever wants to form the next federal government must give Sabah and Sarawak a firm commitment that the 20-Point and 18-Point Agreements will be honoured.
Thus far there is no indication that both sides of the political divide place much importance in this matter.Fundamental to these agreements is to allow Sabahans and Sarawakian what I would call self-determination, for want of a better phase.
This may not tantamount to autonomy seeing that national defence, internal security, foreign policy, and so on, are federal policies and outside the jurisdiction of the states. Nevertheless, there are still many areas not within the ambit of the federal government, which are state matters, but which the states are not being allowed to manage or decide on their own.
Self-determination needed
The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) is of the view that the entire relationship between the federal government and East Malaysia needs to be reviewed. Things are not happening the way it was intended when Malaysia was first created. There is no so-called partnership between Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.
What we have instead is a federalisation policy where Sabah and Sarawak are just two of 13 states that come under the domination of the federal government.
To demonstrate that the national or Kuala Lumpur-based political parties are sincere and genuine about ‘de-federalisation’ (again, for want of a better phase) they must first end their policy of the domination of East Malaysian politics. They must allow Sabah- and Sarawak-based political parties to chart their own direction and determine their own future.
The 20-Point and 18-Point Agreements must be the basis of the relationship between Kuala Lumpur and East Malaysia.
MCLM would like to see the national or Kuala Lumpur-based parties releasing their stranglehold on East Malaysian politics. Let the Sabah- and Sarawak-based parties contest the state and general elections.
National or Kuala Lumpur-based parties should form alliances or have electoral pacts with these Sabah- and Sarawak-based parties and assist them in whatever way required. National or Kuala Lumpur-based parties should not instead contest seats in Sabah and Sarawak and engage East Malaysia in three- or more-corner fights.
There may still be three- or more-corner fights in Sabah and Sarawak. In any election this can’t be avoided and is perfectly legal and constitutional. But let it not be the national or Kuala Lumpur-based parties that trigger these multi-corner fights.
Let it be known that the national or Kuala Lumpur-based parties will ensure that they will not be the culprits in multi-corner fights but would instead help the Sabah- and Sarawak-based parties in their attempt to deny Barisan Nasional the states.
MCLM supports the idea of a United Borneo Front comprising of Sabah- and Sarawak-based political parties. MCLM also supports the move to restore the letter and the spirit of the 20-Point and 18-Point Agreements.
MCLM will work towards ensuring that Sabah and Sarawak are allowed self determination so that they can chart their own direction and determine their own future with the help of the other opposition parties in Pakatan Rakyat.
KUCHING: Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s turnaround on the oil royalty issue after 31 years in power and the fact that he preferred “private” and “amicable discussions” with the federal government have raised more questions.
Uppermost on the list is whether Taib and his predecessor and uncle, Abdul Rahman Yakub, had knowingly “surrendered” Sarawak’s rights over oil and gas to the federal government.
Sarawakians who have read Taib’s biography – “A Soul You Can See” – written by Douglas Bullis and who remember their history, would recall that Taib was the federal-level Primary Industries Minister who was in charge of the nation’s oil and gas resources.
This being the case, was Taib responsible for the lopsided oil agreement and the Petroleum Development Act passed in Parliament in 1974?
The Act was passed following a confrontation between Opec (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and oil companies over oil price policies in 1973.
Expounding on the 1973 “crisis”, Taib was quoted by Bullis as saying: “By 1973 I realised Malaysia and the oil companies were headed for a confrontation over their purchase price policies.
“There was too much take and too little give, and Malaysia’s people have an ethic based on balance,” Taib had said in page 88 of the book.
“Eventually I came up with the idea that we should base Malaysia’s oil concession policy on shared production agreements.
“Naturally I was snubbed by oil companies who claimed the Malaysian government was moving towards nationalisation.”
Taib’s silence
Bullis said that it was obvious that Malaysia’s post-1974 policy on taking control of Malaysia’s petroleum interests from oil companies was largely Taib’s works.
It is well known in Sabah that its then chief minister Mustapha Harun and his successor Fuad (Donald) Stephens refused to sign the oil agreement giving 5% of oil royalty to Sabah, but Sarawak under Abdul Rahman was said to be “too willing” and signed the agreement.
But the question is: Did the nephew and the uncle “surrender” Sarawak’s rights over oil and gas to the federal government in order to please the then prime minister Abdul Razak in return for political and financial support?
Sarawak was at that time in turmoil following the sacking of its chief minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan in 1966.
At the time there were incessant allegations by the Parti Pesaka anak Sarawak president Temenggong Jugah anak Barieng that the Ibans were shabbily treated by Abdul Rahman and Taib.
Abdul Rahman was also facing an “internal rebellion” against his leadership from within Pesaka, which had by then (in 1973) merged with Parti Bumiputera to form Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
At the point of signing the oil agreement, Sarawak was said to be politically unstable and needed the support of the federal government.
Could history be the reason why Taib has been silent on the royalty issue during his 31-year tenure as chief minister? And why he has been compliant to Umno in the peninsula, having pumped millions into its coffers?
What off-the-table deal did Taib and Abdul Rahman eventually strike with the federal leadership that allowed them to sustain Sarawak’s “independence” as opposed to Sabah’s “colonialisation” by Kuala Lumpur?
What has now compelled Taib to call for re-negotiations on the oil royalty issue?
It certainly cannot be fear of losing his grip in Sarawak because he has already won the state election held in April last year.
If it is the parliamentary election, Sarawak BN coalition is unlikely to lose more than 10 of the 31 parliamentary seats. And that too the losses will come from Chinese-based Sarawak United People’s Party, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and Parti Rakyat Sarawak. Less likely will it be from Taib’s own PBB.
So what then is compelling Taib to go to the “private” negotiation table? What cards will he pull and how will he keep “wanting” Umno away from Sarawak?
We’ve been brainwashed, cheated, conned, shortchanged for over 49 years, History being distorted, Truth being concealead, Textbook being corrupted, Resources being sucked up dry, Rights being denied, Welfare being ignored so what is there for us Sarawakians to be proud of as Malaysians?
We had been sweet-talked by the leaders from Kuala Lumpur who offered us sweet promises into believing that Sabah would be an equal partner in the new country and would share the wealth fairly.
The real fact was we have already gained independence from the British earlier before we were colonized by the leaders from Kuala Lumpur
The political game in Malaysia was being played and masterminded by Malaya and after the agreement to form the federal government was made, Malaya ‘kicked out’ one of its partners, Singapore, without even referring the matter to Sabah and Sarawak.
After they ‘dumped’ Singapore out, they manipulated Sabah and Sarawak in order to gain the two-thirds majority in parliament before successfully downgrading the status of Sabah and Sarawak from a country to one of the states within the federation.
It was “the mother of all lies” to say that Sarawak became independent through Malaysia. Sarawak became independent on 22nd July 1963 “before it was swallowed up” by Malaya 55 days later under false pretences
We thought that we had helped formed a new Federation, Malaysia, where Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya would be equal partners, instead, we came out from the tiger’s mouth (Britain) and landed in the crocodile’s mouth (Malaya)
Should Stephen Kalong Ningkan teamed-up with Lee Kuan Yew when Singapore being “Kicked out” by Malaya in August 9th 1965, by now, Sarawak could be one of the most developed Commonwealth state!
Singapore was kicked out from Malaysia in 1965, two years later, when the island resisted attempts by Kuala Lumpur to re-colonize it in the wake of the British departure. Brunei, had deep suspicions about Malayan leaders and stayed out from the Federation at the 11th hour.
South Sudan, which became independent in July last year, as a classic study on “internal colonization”.
UN found that South Sudan, where the people are mostly Christians and Blacks, had been internally colonised by the Muslim Arab government in Khartoum in the north. The UN Security Council approved the partition of the country and the independence of South Sudan
The grinding poverty of Sabah, Sarawak as well is due to the internal colonization of Borneo by the Malaya-run Federal Government in Putrajaya.
Malaysia is a bad British idea initially meant to protect their commercial interest in their former colonies.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”¹
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Sabah/Sarawak both plays a roles as King Maker for both BN and PR. Both need us to form the next Federal Government
To me the best way is to have a strong State Government to demand for more Autonomous Power thus improving Federal – States relationship/ties.
That is possible through reviving of Sarawak and Sabah Alliance.This would ensure more bargaining power for the States agaisnt the Federal Government. What happen now was the Centralisation of Power to Federal while the State remain subservient to Federal.Sabah has did this in 1980s through PBS Government but they fall from grace by dirty/undemocratic tactics by the all powerful Federal/Central governmentThis is to protect / fights for the interests of the Borneo states namely Sabah,Sarawak.State government of Sabah, Sarawak need to urgently look at protecting the Rights and autonomy of the Borneo states as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement before it is too late.We may not have been ready in 1963 but the people in Sabah and Sarawak are now ready, more than ready, to look after their own interests
If the people of Sabah and Sarawak are united, we will obtain the restoration of the rights and autonomy of the Borneo states as championed by our founding fathers, with safeguards built into the Malaysia Agreement
The time has come for the people and leaders in Sabah and Sarawak to take charge and not rely on others to safeguard Sabah and Sarawak’s rights.
But sadly, post Stephen Kalong Ningkan era, Sarawak State Government under the “Great”” leadership of Tawie Sli (Puppet CM), Rahman Yaakub and now Taib Mahmud (Both are Pro – Federal/Malaya) being nothing more than a lackey of Federal/Malaya in the expense of our Rights vis a vis Malaysian Agreement 1963 / 20/18 Point of Agreement!
Indeed, from 1963 right up to 1970, the most powerful political office in the land, the Chief Minister’s office, was occupied by an Iban politician from the multiracial Sarawak National Party (Snap), Stephen Kalong Ningkan.
This situation was obviously not satisfactory to Federal/Malaya (UMNO) politicians, who saw themselves as the only legitimate representatives of national power. Federal/Malaya (UMNO) aim was the usurpation of the Iban pre-eminence in state politics.
This they achieved by virtue of engineering the collapse of the Ningkan government and the departure of SNAP from the ruling state Alliance. Umno replaced Snap with another stop-gap Iban party, under Penghulu Tawi Sli, in 1970.
The general election in 1970 brought an opportunity for Umno to reclaim their position of Malay dominance in Malaysian politics.
During the general election that year, the Sarawak Alliance and BN replaced the Iban Chief Minister with a Muslim Melanau, to occupy the prized seat of Chief Minister.
That was how Abdul Rahman Ya’akub, and later, his nephew Taib Mahmud, ascended to the supreme position of Chief Minister.
But we cant depend on the sentiment itself, we must do something. We must educate our People. The most basic thing that we could do is to empower them with History, our History, not Malaya History to ensure they know where they are now and how much they have gain or lost since formation of Malaysia in 1963!
RANAU: The federal government should stop duping Sabah and Sarawak into celebrating Merdeka Day when the 55th anniversary had “no relevance” to the two states, STAR Sabah chairman Jeffrey Kitingan said.
“How can these leaders continue to twist history to suit their political interests without considering our feelings and the truth?
“How could they [federal government] insist we must celebrate Malayan independence which has no relevance to Sabah and Sarawak?” asked Kitingan when launching STAR’s Kundasang zone in Pinampadan near here.
He said what was important and relevant to Sabah and Sarawak is their own independence – July 22, 1963 for Sarawak and Aug 31, 1963 for Sabah – and that of Malaysia Day or the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.
“This date – Sept 16, 1963 – is the true ‘National Day’ that gives all three territories of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak, a common identity as Malaysians”, said Jeffrey.
He said that by continuing to impose Malaya’s version of history on Sabahans and Sarawakians, “the government is alienating the two territories”.
“By insisting that Malaysia is 55 years old now and not 49, the federal government is sending the wrong message to the people.
“Firstly, what the government is doing is teaching the people how to lie and manipulate the facts of history.
“Secondly, the Peninsula-controlled federal government is now telling Sabahans and Sarawakians [intentionally or not] that Malaysia was nothing more than a ‘takeover’ project for Malaya and that Sabah and Sarawak are now Malayan states/territories so they [Sabah and Sarawak] must now adopt Malayan historical independence,” he said.
Jeffrey, who is expected to take on his elder brother Joseph Pairin, the president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), a Barisan Nasional member, for the Keningau parliamentary seat in the coming general election, also described the BN’s Janji diTepati (Promise Fulfilled) as an empty slogan.
“If this was indeed Malaya’s real intention, then those promises, assurances, undertakings and persuasions by Tunku Abdul Rahman and other Malayan leaders were all lies or Janji Terang Bulan.”
“And if they were mere Janji Terang Bulan, then the slogan Janji diTepati is an empty and hollow slogan as far as Sabah and Sarawak are concerned.
“If we Sabah and Sarawak have been cheated, we have to stop all this nonsense and start putting things right,” added Jeffrey.
KUCHING: Sarawak opposition has questioned the need for secrecy in the re-negotiations of the existing oil agreement with the federal government.
“I am curious to know as to why Chief Minister [Taib Mahmud] should think royalty negotiations are better done in private. Why is that so?” asked Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian.
Bian, who is a senior lawyer and Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said oil and gas issue was of public concern.
“The oil and gas in Sarawak is not the property of the chief minister – it belongs to all the people of Sarawak, hence we have a right to know what is being discussed.
“We want to know what the chief minister intends to do about it… we would like to remind him that he is a servant of the people and is accountable to them,” Bian said.
He pointed out that Sarawak has been lagging behind the Peninsula in every aspect including roads and infrastructure, education, healthcare, jobs, transport, industry and development.
“One could say that Peninsular Malaysia and many individuals have prospered or benefited via Petronas at our expense.
“Sarawakians now say kini masa balas budi to quote a line from the infamous Barisan Nasional Merdeka theme song 2012.
“The former prime minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad), in a Freudian slip, had referred to the current administration as the ‘devil’ and the opposition as the ‘angel’. That in itself says it all.
“I trust that the rakyat are astute enough to judge for themselves whether to choose more of the same or to give themselves the hope of a better and brighter future with the Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.
Why now Taib?
Bian also questioned the timing of Taib’s decision to re-negotiate the 5% oil royalty, when he knew about the imbalance and unjust agreement these past 30 years.
“Of course, I welcome the announcement by the chief minister that he agrees that the royalty should be increased.
“But why is it only now that the chief minister is agreeing to pursue the matter? Why was he quiet for more than 30 years?”
Bian suggested that the current political climate and “a real possibility that the rakyat will vote them [Taib and BN] out” in the coming general election may have compelled Taib to address the issue.
“One can’t help but think that it is because this is an issue very close to the hearts of the people, an issue which Pakatan has promised to address.
“Obviously there has been no political will on the BN government’s part over the last 30 or so years to seek a fairer share of the royalty until now…,” said Bian.
This is one of the argument that i came accross yesterday, take your time and read it properly, thoroughly point by point and my counter arguement would follow suit later :
“Let’s take a look at the USA : Independence Day, commonly known as the 4th of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence of the 13 Colonies from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The 13 Colonies were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. After achieving independence with the Treaty of Paris, the United States expanded westward, enlarging its borders seven times, with two major border adjustments, one each with colonies of the United Kingdom and Spain, and several small disputes.
The original thirteen states grew into fifty states, most of which began as incorporated territories.
The general pattern seen in this is of territorial expansion, carving of organized territories from the newly acquired land, modification of the borders of these territories, and eventual statehood. Only two states, Nevada and Missouri, grew appreciably after statehood, and five, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, lost land, in each case to form new states.
My counter argument :
I beg to differ with you and allow me to elaborate in my broken English 🙂
United States of America vs Federation of Malaysia.
Cant you see the difference? 🙂
USA is a Unitary States while Malaysia is a Federation
I dont see any single reason why we (Sabah/Sarawak) should celebrate 31st August as Independence Day.
Why? That is the date Federation of Malaya gain Independence from Britain.
Malaysia is a Federation of Equal Partner namely Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak.
Just like United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which consist of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
They are Separate but Equal Partner. They have their own state Government and their Head of Government is called First Minister, similar to Chief Minister for Sabah, Sarawak right?
In United Kingdom, they have no Independence Day or National Day due to the same reason
The only date that we should celebrate is September 16th because that is the date when Malaysia was officialy formed and it is called Malaysia Day, and yes, we SHOULD celebrate Malaysia Day and not 31st August as it has nothing to do with us although one may argue that if there is no 31st August 1957 Indepedence of Malaya, there would be no Malaysia BUT, if there is no September 16th 1963, there is NO Malaysia. If there is no Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore, there is NO Malaysia as well!
The formation of the new federation was planned to occur on June 1, 1963, but was later postponed to August 31, 1963, in order to coincide with the sixth Hari Merdeka.
Several issues related to the Indonesian and the Filipino objection to the formation of Malaysia delayed the declaration to September 16 of the same year.
The postponement was also done to allow the United Nations team time to conduct referendums in North Borneo (now Sabah) and Sarawak regarding the two states participation in a new federation
Malaysia Agreement signed by the Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (now Sabah including Labuan Island), Sarawak and Singapore in London on 9th July 1963
FACTUAL FACT
31 August 1957 : Federated States of Malaya gain Independence from the Britain
22 July 1963 : Sarawak was officially granted Independence from Britain
16 September 1963 : Sarawak together with North Borneo (Sabah), Singapore and Federation of Malaya formed the Federation of Malaysia as EQUAL PARTNER.Separate but Equal Entity
Rhetorically speaking, we had never achieved INDEPENDENCE in the true sense of words. Its just the change of Colonial Masters. From White Skin to Brown Skin. From British Imperialism to Malayan Imperialism
Simple Mathematics :
Federation of Malaya + States of Singapore + States of North Borneo + States of Sarawak : Federation of Malaysia (1963)
Status : Equal Partner
Federation of Malaya + States of Sabah + States of Sarawak – States of Singapore : United States of Malaysia (1965)
Status : 1 of the states in Malaysia
My Suggestion :
Federation of Malaya – States of Sabah – States of Sarawak : United States of Malaya (2065)
Status : Independent/Sovereign Country of Sabah/Sarawak 🙂
Awang Dzul-Hashriq Dharfizi : The only problem i see here is the factual error that the United States is a Federation and not Unitary, the way Malaysia is. Both have federal-level government. however, it is true that the similar analogy on celebration of 4th July CANNOT be used in Malaysian context.
Federation of Malaya who attained her independence on 31st August 1957 “ceased” to exist as a Sovereign Entity and surrenders her Sovereignty and Independence through the Formation of Malaysia with 3 other equal partners of North Borneo, Singapore and Sarawak on the 16th September 1963, creating a new entity with new name and new constitution, yet the United States of America has been in continuous existence since 1776 and only absorbs new territories through expansion and purchase among other ways
Leslley Kalom : So if USA is a federation the way Malaysia is? If that is the case, my understanding of Federation is States, federated to form a new Country/Nation as Equal Partner while retaining their individualities
Awang Dzul-Hashriq Dharfizi : Federalism basically involves a 3 tier governmental level which are the federal government, the state government and the local government (city/municipal council) with usually explicit mentions on the power division/separation between the states and the federal government.
Federated states or federations among others include Malaysia, the United States, Russia, India, Germany and Australia. whereas a Unitary state only have a 2 Tier Administration level which are the Central Government and the Local Government such as all other South-East Asian Nations, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, South Korea, even the United Kingdom (albeit devolved as to grant separate administrative powers to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)A far-less common form of administration is the confederation which is almost a hybrid of the two, with most of its units (or member states) having superior autonomy in their administration compared to those of in federation
How i wish Malaysia was a confederation, to be honest. Your understanding might reflects more of a Confederation, rather than a Federation, i believe.
How many times Sarawak has save Malaya? The answer is 5 times as being shown below
1st : Malayan Emergency (1948 to 1960)
Iban Trackers/Sarawak Rangers were being assigned to Malaya
2nd : Formation of Malaysia on September 16th 1963Why Malaysia? The initiative apparently came from the wishes of Singapore’s leaders. David Marshall, Chief Minister of Singapore during the mid-1950s, was keen for a merger but the Tunku then was reluctant. Then in 1959, when Lee Kuan Yew of the People’s Action Party assumed the chief ministership, he too proposed a Malaya-Singapore merger for economic and political reasons. The Tunku’s initial reaction was at best lukewarm. As the political Left in Singapore gained momentum, however, the Tunku began to warm up to Lee’s persuasive arguments of merger.
Although the Tunku and his Malay colleagues in the United Malay National Organisation (Umno) did not want to have a Left-leaning Singapore as their neighbour, neither did they wish for a merger with Chinese-dominated Singapore that would mean upsetting the racial arithmetic in favour of the Chinese.
The Borneo territories then became imperative components in the wider federation scheme. Nearly 70% of the nearly 1.3 million inhabitants (1960 census) of Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak comprised Malay-Muslims and non-Muslim indigenous peoples, the Borneo territories were viewed favourably as a counterweight to Singapore’s Chinese majority.”
“This racial arithmetic, however, hinged on an assumption: “that in extreme racial issues the indigenous population of Borneo might choose to align themselves with the Malays (of Malaya), to whom they were racially akin, rather than to the Chinese”.~Dr Ooi Keat Gin~
3rd : Singapore expulsion from Federation of Malaysia on August 9th 1965
Sabah/Sarawak could just pull out from Federation of Malaysia since Singapore has being kicked out.
There were 4 signatories to the Malaysian Agreement: Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. So, if one party pulls out (or in this case got expelled), then the original Malaysian Agreement is null and void.
A new Malaysian Agreement should have been drafted (and signed) to represent the the three remaining signatories. But there was none drafted or signed. So, if the original Malaysian Agreement was null and void, then Malaysia is an illegal nation. In this case Malaysia does not even exist legally!
4th : Communist Insurgency (1968 to 1989)
Troops from Sarawak were being assigned to Malaya
5th : General Election 2008
The opposition pact won 83 of the 222 parliamentary seats in 2008 election. Of the BN’s 139 seats, 55 were from Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan while in Peninsular Malaysia, it won 84 seats over PR’s 81, BN only obtained 49 percent of vites in Malaya
"Mangkang Menua,Mangkang Dunya,Ngetan Ke Bansa!!" 