KUCHING: Tan Sri Harris Salleh is a typical example of a ‘true product’ of colonial mentality, proving that Sabah and Sarawak have been subdued and ‘swallowed by a tiger’ from afar.
Responding to a statement by the former Sabah chief minister who called Sabah leaders not to disturb a ‘sleeping tiger’, State Reform Party (Star) president Lina Soo says presumably, the ‘sleeping tiger’ Harris is referring to is Malaya.
“Such mentality of political leaders is the root cause of the predicament Sarawak and Sabah face today.
“As the last 56 years has proven, the interests and rights of Sabah and Sarawak have been set aside in pursuance of the leaders’ own selfish interests,” she told New Sarawak Tribune here today.
She said unless such mentality was corrected, the future for Sabah and Sarawak would be bleak and a complete walkover hands down.
Therefore, she urged Sabahans and Sarawakians to look deeper into the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“Built into MA63 is Article VIII: The Governments of the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak will take such legislative, executive or other action as may be required to implement the assurances, undertakings and recommendations contained in Chapter 3 of, and Annexes A and B to, the Report of the Inter-Government committee signed on 27th February 1963, in so far as they are not implemented by express provision of the Constitution of Malaysia,” she pointed out.
She said therein lay the right for the Sabah and Sarawak governments to invoke Article VIII to enforce executive and other means to implement the rights and safeguards contained in the IGC Report which the Federal government had failed to fulfill.
“This Constitutional power lies within the Sabah and Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) to invoke and implement as mandated in Article VIII of MA63.
“But first the people must awaken and realise that this constitutional power of the state governments has been overlooked for the past 56 years,” she said.
Soo said now the people of both states must wake up and call to action this constitutional and legal power bestowed upon both state governments to fix and correct all the injustices and grievances suffered by the people for the past 56 years.
“It’s better late than never that the ‘Borneo Dragons’ must awaken and arise to prevent being swallowed up by the ‘Harimau’, before they wake up to find themselves in the ‘tiger’ stomach.”
On March 25, Harris told Sabah leaders to stop fighting blindly for equal partnership status but instead come up with clear details about what they are actually fighting for.
He said Malayan leaders had been largely silent on the talks when Sabah and Sarawak had been talking about equal partnership.
He said as the Federal constitution would be amended in April and the Royal assent given in May, Sabah leaders should cease to fight blindly and take cognisance that the Malayan leaders had not given any response.
