PR, A NATIONAL PARTY LED BY SABAHAN LEADERS

By : DR. EDWIN BOSI

THE issue of labeling DAP, PAS and PKR as Semenanjung or West Malaysian parties is baseless. This issue is been played up by politicians who happen to be members of Sabah-KL registered political parties.

The issue is gaining momentum due to the pending by-election in Batu Sapi following the untimely demise of PBS-BN MP Datuk Edmund Chong in a traffic accident on Sunday 10th October 2010.

These Sabah-KL registered parties like SAPP claimed to be better champion the rights of Sabahans. They spoke about autonomy and promise to ‘revisit’ the 20-points of the Malaysia Agreement.

They have also gone to the extent of promising to bring the Federal government and the British Government to court for dishonoring the Malaysia Agreement if they take power.

The Sabah-KL registered parties must realize that they need the backing and support of the Federal government to undertake many of the tasks they planned to do if and when they are in power.

They should take the cue from PBS which was a very strong Sabah-based party and free from BN control for about nine years. What has PBS achieved and where is PBS now?

During that period (PBS era) the Federal government was slowly but surely finding ways to overthrow the party. It was ‘strangled’ and ‘choked’ financially. It was during this period that the population surge happened and today we see many ‘Bumiputera Baru’, a brilliant work of the Federal government in legalizing illegal immigrants to overtake the local population. They are now in the electoral roll and are considered the fixed deposit or FD of the BN government.

Sabahans must not be fooled by these Sabah-KL registered parties. Their promises of splendor and sweetness are plentiful but by the end of the day, they are but just empty promises. Sabahans must not be once again ‘strangled’ and ‘choked’. We must learn from past mistakes and then move on to something that is tangible and attainable.

Pakatan Rakyat talks about justice for all, for all Malaysians. It talks about equality and reformation. It is also promoting competency, transparency and accountability (CAT). Pakatan Rakyat is not a West Malaysian party but is a National party. It is only through the National parties that we Sabahans can change and move things forward. What Sabahans should and must do is to give Pakatan Rakyat a strong mandate both in the State and Putrajaya. Pakatan Rakyat in Sabah has been given full autonomy. The leaders will not abuse power or be corrupted. It is also a National party comprising of local Sabahans leaders.

Under UMNO-BN rule, we have seen and experience the slow pace of development between Sabah and Semenanjung. We can see the poor infrastructure (roads, power, water and drainage), health and education facilities and the poor economy. Enough is enough. We must change for the better, vote and support Pakatan Rakyat to win the BATU SAPI by-election, in order to Save Sabah and Save Malaysia.

Pakatan Rakyat is a choice in this two-party system. Sabah DAP urges Sabahans to give Pakatan Rakyat a chance to govern the country. We have seen that Pakatan Rakyat-managed States (Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan) are performing exceptionally well to the envy of UMNO and BN. With zero corruption under Pakatan Rakyat run States it is now reported on the international corruption index that Malaysia’s position has improved.