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Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan is the Chairman of STAR Sabah and State Assemblymen for N33, Bingkor, Sabah.
He also contested in P180, Keningau garnering 11900 strong votes
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KOTA KINABALU - “People from all walks of life and middle Malaysia have voiced their concerns over the rising tension and intolerance, ever widening race relations and rising racial and religious bigotry and extremism.
Yet more sickening and disgusting for people from all over the world is the deafening silence, inaction and inability of Malaysia’s top leadership to rein in the trouble-makers while sponsoring and funding the right wing” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, commenting on the rising tensions, attacks on religious freedom and growing fanaticism among Umno, their members and supporters.
To make matters worse, the actions of the police, the Ministers and other government machinery make it seem as though the attacks and rising tension are sponsored by the government or committed with their approval.
The Prime Minister has travelled the world lying to the world about Malaysia’s moderation and supposed role model for other Muslim countries. However, back home, his Umno party backs and promotes racial and religious extremism and he has done nothing to rein in the right wing and extremists bent on creating a “Malay/Muslim only” or “1-Melayu” Malaysia.
The PM himself had approved, probably helped and co-authored, the 10 Points Solution in April 2011 to resolve the deadlock over restrictions on religious freedom. Yet, the 10-Points Solution has never been fully implemented by his government agencies.
The latest attacks on religious freedom has shown that the government agencies do not respect the 10-Points Solution.
Worse still, the PM has so far refused to even say a single word on the 10-Points or to get the government agencies to stand down and comply with the 10-Points. This can only mean that the PM and his government has no intention of honouring the 10-Points. It is as good as being thrown into the rubbish bin.
Worse still, the PM has so far refused to even say a single word on the 10-Points or to get the government agencies to stand down and comply with the 10-Points. This can only mean that the PM and his government has no intention of honouring the 10-Points. It is as good as being thrown into the rubbish bin.
As the rate things are going, it will also mean that the government will not honour whatever recommendations of the new National Unity Consultative Council. It is probably a political gimmick to hoodwink and lie to the people.
Religious freedom was a matter close to the hearts of the founding fathers of Malaysia especially from Sabah and Sarawak. If there were no guarantees including constitutional safeguards, Sabah and Sarawak would probably not agree to form the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
It was so important that the indigenous natives in the interior of Sabah erected a Stone Monument in Keningau to etch into eternity the promise of religious freedom.
From a secular State with Islam as the official religion and freedom to practice other religions, Malaysia has now descended into a country of racial bigotry and intolerance and a move towards stamping out of freedom to practice other religions.
Whatever the detractors may say of Sarawak Chief Minister, at least, he is doing right things for Sarawakians. But his efforts to insulate Sarawak from the “disease” from Malaya and to strengthen racial harmony and preserve unity may not be sufficient in the face of continuous attacks on religious freedom without any intervention by the PM and the federal government.
Meantime, the federal government’s management of the national coffers is moving the country towards the brink of bankruptcy with no end in sight against corruption, mis-governance, wastages and excessive spending.
At the same time, Sabah and Sarawak’s rich natural resources are unlawfully and unjustly vested in Petronas with 95% of the oil and gas revenues siphoned by Petronas and the federal government. The end result, Sabah is now the poorest in the nation where 405 of all poor Malaysians are in Sabah and Labuan.
For the past 50 years, the Malayan government has masqueraded as the Malaysian federal government and has not honoured the basis of the formation of Malaysia, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the 20-Points except in the early years. The end result, from an equal partner to Malaya, the rich independent nations of Sabah and Sarawak are now the 12th and 13th States and Sabah administered as a colony of Malaya.
Even the history of Malaysia is re-written and distorted, even the age of Malaysia is twisted to merge with the independence of Malaya in 1957. Malaysia never existed before 1963 and was never colonized yet in our history books it is as though Malaysia achieved its independence in 1957.
The threats against the peaceful and harmonious co-existence of Sabah with its multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-racial mix in Malaysia is very real with break-up along racial and religious lines and the economic meltdown on the horizon after being now as the poorest.
Sabahans are now wondering whether there is any more point to remain in the federation of Malaysia or should it leave to preserve the peace, harmony and unity that existed long before Malaysia was born in 1963? Already, many are clamouring for Sabah Sarawak to leave Malaysia.
What will the Sabah Umno/BN leaders do to at least insulate Sabah and preserve unity as initiated in Sarawak? What will the Malayan leaders and the Malaya/Malaysian federal government do to save Malaysia?
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