Tuesday 28 February 2012

WHERE DOES PAKATAN STAND?




By : GABRIEL DOMINIC

IF IT is true that Dr. Jeffrey will contest against his elder brother Datuk Pairin, logically this proves that the former is really serious in his political struggles. This scenario will send a strong message to the people that STAR is serious in wanting to bring changes to the fate of Sabahans.

The time has come for Sabahans to demand back the rights promised by our founding fathers of the Malaysia Federation. We must do this come the next GE, it is now or never. I urge STAR to continue their campaigns in explaining to the people what the party is all about. Too long have we been short change of our rights.

Many may argue that Dr. Jeffrey is a frog and is not consistent in his political struggles. I would say that it is because of his (Jeffrey) consistency in what he believes forces him to leave political parties. For so long he has been yelling and screaming about the 20 points agreement and is consistent in doing so. Parties and their presidents have their own principles and goals, for that I am happy that Dr. Jeffrey has finally settled in STAR.

PBS says that STAR is hiding behind the NGO UBF. They (PBS) claim that UBF will book community halls here and there but come ceramah day, STAR flags are seen all over the community hall. I would like to ask PBS members, what do they mean by this? So what if the STAR flags are hoisted during UBF functions? Indeed UBF is an NGO, but is it not obvious that STAR’s struggles are in line with what the UBF is representing?

To achieve autonomy, a solid alliance of SAPP and STAR under the UBF cause will be the best bet for the local opposition. If SAPP is honest in wanting to fight for Sabahans, they must forge the alliance with STAR.

On the ground and coffee shop talk has indicated that STAR’s strength lies in the rural areas. SAPP’s strength however lies in the urban areas. So it indeed makes a good combination. The next question is, where does Pakatan stand?

Having been a PKR hardcore for all these years (since the days of Parti KeADILan Nasional), I think that it is time to focus on Sabah, with the UBF as our vehicle for change. I am a political nobody, but it is the effort in doing your best that counts.

It will be a serious challenge to go back to the people whom I have tried so hard to convince them that PKR is the choice, and suddenly turn around and get them to focus their direction to STAR. Nevertheless, it will be worth it should Sabah have a local government, headed by local leaders that need not report to Putrajaya.

People of Sabah, in the civil service, for every Sabahan and Sarawakian sent to west Malaysia (be it PDRM, BOMBA, etc) 10 west Malaysians are sent here to serve. Is this logic and is this acceptable? So if 10 Sabahans are sent to the west, 100 west Malaysians are sent to Sabah.

Why not we change the state government and let the 100 Sabahans work here in their home soil and leave the 10 west Malaysians to serve in their respective states? Are we not capable of working in the civil service? The top jobs in government departments are mostly headed by west Malaysians. Are we not capable to head government departments and agencies?

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem (personal whatsoever) with west Malaysians, but hey, we have our rights too. Not to mention the future of our children and grandchildren.

The federal government has announced that only in Sabah and Sarawak can the word Allah be used in Christian bibles, whereas it is not applicable to do so in west Malaysia. Is this rational? What happens if BN is still the federal government and Sabah is headed by an opposition government?

High possibility they (federal BN) will reverse this ruling. It is not that I am ungrateful that the federal government has decided on this ruling, but please have a standard. To say that Sabah and Sarawak only are given the privilege, I don’t think so, because if so, then prove it by giving us what we were promised in the agreement of the formation of Malaysia, the 18 and 20 point agreement.

As Daniel John Jambun said, we need not beg for oil royalty, oil royalty which is rightfully ours 100%. This cry was echoed by Raja Petra as well. It will be a mammoth of a task to even get 20% should Sabah fall to the opposition, what more 50% or 100%! We should strive and fight for our rights. It is now or never.

Going back to Pakatan, I do not see PR as the enemy. The target is BN. Like I mentioned earlier, if STAR and SAPP forges a solid alliance to contest Sabah, where does PR stand. It hurts to say this, but we might have to take the BN head on and flank the PR offensive at the same time. As much as possible we want to avoid multiple cornered contests, but if it is the only way forward, then we have a lot of work to do.

14 comments:

  1. kita lihat sejauhmana STAR dapat membawa perubahan kepada rakyat Sabah. sebelum ini tiada pencapaian yang telah mereka perolehi di Sarawak.

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  2. sukar untuk mempercayai SAPP. sekarang pula mahu membuat kerjasama dengan STAR, kerjasama yang dirancang bersama PR sebelum ini bagaimana?

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  3. Penerimaan STAR di kalangan rakyat Sabah boleh diukur dalam PRU13.

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  4. rasanya tidak ramai rakyat sokong PR.

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  5. susah STAR mau membentuka kerajaan pada pilihanraya umum nanti kerana mereka bukan sahaja terpaksa bersaing dengan BN, malah parti2 pembangkang yang lain..

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  6. baik JK lupakan hasrat beliau untuk membolot jawatan KM Sabah dan cuba bina persefahaman antara parti2 pembangkang yang lain.. tidak guna menasihatkan rakyat Sabah supaya bersatu sedangkan parti2 pembangkang sendiri enggan bersatu..

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  7. Kan bagus kalau JK terus dengan PBS dan tidak perlu mengejar cita-cita ingin menjadi KM.

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  8. After taking into account all the news flow related to the opposition front, regardless if they are from the state or the peninsular, clearly one can deduce that the the call for a 'united opposition' front clearly a myth and will not be a reality.

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    1. Each strive to fight for their own ideology. To makes matters worse for the oppositions, there are some parties have internal conflicts if not internal communication errors.To some extent, some opposition parties even put up a public display of their difference of opinion on certain matter.

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    2. But what is most damning is that these peninsular base opposition parties will not put the interest of Sabahan as their primary agenda.

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  9. The Barisan Nasional (BN) will ensure that the people’s welfare and needs will be fulfilled if it is returned to power in the next general election.

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  10. Various aid extended to the people, including the 1Malaysia People’s Assistance (BR1M), were part of the BN continuous efforts to ease the burden of the people and help them improve their family economy.

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  11. History has shown that the BN had always been working in the best interest of the people in looking after their welfare. However, the BN needs the mandate of the people to ensure continuous efforts could be implemented.

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  12. Rapid development under the BN administration would enable the people to unleash their potentials in the march towards a high-income nation.

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