My article submitted to Poskod.my

I would like to write on issues relating to Sabah and Sarawak. I am a Malaysian, as much as I am a Sabahan. I take to heart things concerning Sabah especially, because that is where I come from, and where I grew up. It is disheartening, and hurtful, when our brothers and sisters from other parts of Malaysia disregard issues pertaining East Malaysians. From political leaders to acquaintances, East Malaysia tends to be disregarded at many a time. I do not wish to condemn anyone, because this in my opinion is inappropriate, instead I would like to have a chance on a wider platform, to convey my message to a wider range of audience, reminding the importance of this two Borneo states. The previous concluded general elections can be one of my reference points. Political leaders battled it out in Malaya, and it is proven costly to the opposition pact.


My article:

What is Malaysia? When I say Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak, what comes into your mind?

I put pen to paper, my grievous concerns towards the ignorance of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia’s political scene. What is the status of Sabah and Sarawak? I believe many Malaysians assume that Sabah and Sarawak are one of the thirteen states in Malaysia. Well, I cannot blame this blissful ignorance or misinformation because of the distorted facts in ourSejarah textbooks during high school days.

​So what is Sabah and Sarawak’s actual status? A bit of history: Malaya received independence in 1957. Be mindful, Malaya received Independence, not Sabah and Sarawak. The two Borneo states, received independence in 1963, the very same time Malaysia was formed. So how old is Malaysia? In fact, Malaysia is only 50 years old. Important to know that Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya, are 3 equal partners in forming Malaysia, and this is stipulated in the Malaysian Agreement 1963(MA63) and 20 points Declaration. So, this means that Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya are partners each worth 33.3%.

​I am a Sabahan, born and bred there, studying in West Malaysia now. But do you know what is most pathetic? ​

​What happened to Sabah and Sarawak? They are by far the most undeveloped and poorest states. This is in spite being blessed with petroleum, natural gas, timber, palm oil, and so much more natural resources. The woes of Sabah and Sarawak are the least on BN’s list of concerns. If Pakatan Rakyat walks the talk, go and help the states of Borneo. They are kingmakers.

People talk about the problems of Bangladeshis in Peninsular Malaysia. Yes you have the right to complain. But if we are talking about a real change, take a look at Sabah. 40% of the population are not genuine Sabahans. This figure was announced by NRD, not PakatanRakyat. It's statistic given by a government agency. We talk about Bangladeshis getting ICs, and talk about the need to rectify this. I humbly think, we should try looking at Sabah.Cybertroopers and Malaysians who fight for a better country should put more effort in East Malaysia.

I am so proud of the level of racial tolerance achieved by Sabahans, so proud of how friendly Sabahans are, so proud of what Sabah and its people have to offer. We have mountains, seas, greens. We have a mixture of at least 7 major races- Chinese, Malays,Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Indian, Bajau and of course many more indigenous races. We all live peacefully without racism. We can all sit down in either a mamak or a Chinese restaurant or even a malay restaurant without any problems. Anyone who has ever been to Sabah can vouch all these for me.

Economically, we are also one of the biggest petroleum producers in Malaysia, if not in South East Asia. BUT, what happened to Sabah? We don't have proper roads. Goodness, it is 2013 now. That is why the richer you are in Sabah, the bigger 4-wheel drive you'd need; Do not talk about blackouts, many don't even have access to electricity. What bullcrap is this? Living without electricity in the 21st century! Water? Forget about free water. Folks in the rural areas cannot even have access to clean water let alone free water. They rely very much on rainwater and water from rivers. 

So why did Pakatan Rakyat fail to overthrow the government? In my humble opinion, Anwar's biggest mistake in the recently concluded General Elections, is his failure to address the woes of East Malaysians. If you compare the seats won in 2008 and 2013, there's not much of a swing in Peninsular. What does this show? This shows that West Malaysians have more or less made up their minds. So if you want a real change, try investing time and putmore effort on East Malaysia. Trying to win votes in West Malaysia is like fishing in a sea with very little fishes left. A bigger impact can be done, if you focus on Sabah and Sarawak.

You cannot blame the people in the rural areas of Sabah for voting BN back into power. They know nothing else apart from the blue colored weighing scale. We scoff at the BR1M, BB1M, BL1M or whatever other brim brom brum. We city folks are exposed and we are well informed. RM250 or RM500 may be little to some of us. It's a different situation out there. Imagine your whole life being in the jungle, no water, no electricity, no car, no KFC, no McDonald's, no Adidas, no Nike, no Puma, no LV, no Burberry, no G-Shock. You have nothing, and the only way to feed your family is by finding food from the wild. If you lived through this, you would agree RM500 is a hell lot of money. It can be enough to feed a family of 5 for a whole month. These folks are therefore so grateful. Our job, is not to blame them, but help them, show them the light, and educate them.

So folks, I invite you to Borneo. If you really want to UBAH something in Malaysia, come to Sabah and contribute. As to Pakatan Rakyat leaders, the ball is in your hands, you decide how you want it played. Please help me spread this. I am a Malaysian, as much as I am a Sabahan.