“SABAH and Sarawak are equal
partners with Malaya and not the 12th and 13th States and the Borneo Agenda is
about the rights of Sabah and Sarawak and is not anti-Malaya or parochial,”
said Edward Linggu, STAR Sabah Information Chief, in response to Datuk Seri
Panglima Wilfred Bumburing’s statement reported in the local media.
The Malaya Agenda is about
the internal control and colonization of Sabah and the siphoning of Sabah’s
rich resources, oil and gas and revenue.
The Borneo Agenda advocated by STAR is about the seeking and restoring
Sabah’s rights and autonomy and to manage its own rich resources. Treating Sabah as a colony and 'fixed deposit'
and taking 95% of Sabah’s oil revenue and 100% of its federal revenue is no
longer acceptable.
It is obvious that Bumburing
has lost the will and desire to champion for Sabah with his statements and
misunderstanding of the real problems and issues facing Sabah today as well as
failure to comprehend STAR’s struggle for Sabah.
“I have personally worked
with Bumburing in PBS and used to have high regard of himself for his part in
fighting for Sabah’s rights but it seems now that it is in the past and
forgotten and is now dependent on and subservient to Peninsular leadership”
added Edward.
Sabahans need to be reminded
that the Federation of Malaysia is not a unitary state but a nation comprising
of three nation-states. Even West
Malaysians and Sarawakians entering Sabah need to go through immigration and
work permits are required for them to work here.
This is the Sabah that is supposed to be in
the Federation as envisaged but as it is now, down-graded to be the 12th State
and made worse by illegals given dubious MyKads and over-whelming the locals.
It is the official stand and
policy of STAR Sabah to topple the BN federal and state governments and to work
with the opposition to achieve this.
This has been conveyed by our Chairman in writing recently to the top
leadership in Pakatan including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Unlike Bumburing who is
willing to be subservient, STAR’s position is that STAR will cooperate and work
with the national opposition but not under them. In our official letter, we have also conveyed
that while we suggest that PR focus on seats in the Peninsular, we are
agreeable to PR components contesting in Sabah to achieve a 1:1 contest to
bring down BN.
As a follow-up, PR
components have been in direct discussions with STAR on seats distribution in
Sabah. Obviously, Bumburing is not aware
as he is not part and parcel of PR but on the fringes. How will he be able to look after Sabah’s
rights and interests when is not officially inside PR? He will have no say and unable to sway even
PKR Sabah as he is an outsider to PR Sabah?
Bumburing need to be
realistic and not be looking out for himself.
People are saying he is just a small fish in a big pond but thinks he is
a giant and demands to contest all the KDM seats. Even if he had taken the entire Upko out
with him, he is in no position to demand for all the KDM seats.
Even his APS’ so-called 'perjuangan'
are mere copy-cats of what UBF and STAR has been doing for the last 2-3
years. APS’ so-called battle-cry 'INI
KALI LAH!' is a copy of STAR’s and rings hollow compared to STAR’s INI KALI
LAH! song which is easily available on youtube and played in the kampungs
throughout Sabah.
We would also like to advise
Bumburing to look after his own house and there is no need to worry about
STAR’s full house of 26 Divisions (including Labuan) and 60 DUNs which APS
doesn’t even come close. Our Papar
division is not dissolved and has emerged stronger. In any event, how can 1 weak leader who has
left the Party has the legal authority to dissolve the division?
As for Keningau being an
administrative centre, obviously again Bumburing has not updated himself. There is no doubt that under a STAR-led
government, Sabah will be divided into 5 Administrative Regions to be governed
by a Governor and a Regional Executive Council each.
This will provide the nerve
centre for an effective regional administration and impetus to propel the
growth and development of Sabah. It has
been wrongly reported that Keningau was to be the state administrative capital
when what was said was that Keningau would be the regional administrative
centre for the Interior Division, tentatively known as Trusmadi Region and this
erroneous reporting had been rectified.
Wouldn’t Bumburing agree
that carving out Sabah into 5 Regions equivalent to the states in the
Peninsular would be a workable proposal to have a more effective and
people-friendly government which will also expedite the development of Sabah,
especially in the outlying areas?
STAR reiterates its stand
that it will work with the national opposition to topple the BN governments as
well as local opposition including Bumburing himself. We are prepared to accommodate him for
Tuaran and he is unlikely to win without STAR’s support in Tuaran as the local
communities there will reject BN and APS in the coming elections.
The time has come for
Sabahans to vote out the Umno/BN government in Sabah and replace them with
patriotic Sabahans who are prepared to put Sabah’s interests, rights and
autonomy first ahead of personal and party interests.
STAR Sabah’s stand and
struggle for Sabah is not merely CHANGE but REFORMS for a Better Sabah for all
which is the objective of STAR’s 'SELAMATKAN SABAH TANAH AIRKU' Campaign. The
future of Sabah lies in the hands of us Sabahans, not outsiders or Sabahans
under the control of outsiders.
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