STATE REFORM PARTY (STAR) SABAH: STAR hit out at police for blaming shootings on naughty teens - YB DATUK DR. JEFFREY KITINGAN

YB 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

State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (pic) poured cold water over the police's initial findings, saying that the attacks were too organized to be the work of teenagers.

"You don't find teenagers carrying air guns and firing at certain premises almost at the same time. I don't believe they are the work of normal teenagers," he said.

He also questioned the timing of the attack, coming on the back of the current religious dispute between Muslims and Christians over the use of the word Allah during worship as well as the Sulu Sultanate claim of ownership of Sabah.

He said the authorities should conduct an in depth probe on the motive of the shootings instead of just brushing it aside.

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STATE REFORM PARTY (STAR) SABAH: Be Wary of Internal Colonization - YB DATUK DR. JEFFREY KITINGAN

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

KOTA KINABALU -  “The time has come for the Sabah government and Sabah Ministers, Deputy Ministers and MPs, both government and opposition, to step up and look after the interests of Sabah and Sabahans.   They need to stop the unfair and unjust treatment of Sabah by the federal government” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief in commenting on toll hikes and government compensation for toll operators and concessionaires.

They need to ask themselves if they are there truly and sincerely to safeguard the rights of Sabah and the interests of Sabahans.  They need to remind themselves that they are voted in by the people of Sabah, regardless phantom voters, voters for hire or not.

They need to see beyond the toll hikes and toll compensations to ensure justice and fairness is served to the people in Sabah.

The PM himself said that the government paid toll compensation of RM459 million between 2008 and 2011, RM329 million in 2012 and RM343 million in 2013 and if toll is deferred in 2014 another RM404 million.   All in a whopping RM1.535 billion, all for the benefit of motorists in Malaya. 

“What about the motorists in Sabah and Sarawak? asked Dr. Jeffrey.

One may say that there are no toll roads in Sabah but then again, there are no good quality roads in Sabah.   The one and only road linking Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, the second largest town, is worse than ordinary kampong roads in Malaya, worse than roads in many Felda areas in rural Malaya.  On the other hand, kampong roads in Sabah are dirt and gravel roads which are not even level.

For the toll compensation paid in Malaya, there should be an equivalent compensation or at least a substantial equivalent to compensate motorists in Sabah.   This compensation can then be channeled to the Sabah government to improve roads and road conditions in Sabah for the benefit of Sabah motorists.

This request is not unreasonable given that Malaysia is a federation, an association of sovereign nations that are partners combining in the common to create a new nation but retaining their own individualities. 

Sabah and Sabah motorists in particular should be treated with equality and fairness.  The federal government needs to be fair in treating Sabah motorists and the Sabah government and the people’s representatives from Sabah need to ensure that the federal government compensate Sabah motorists.

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STATE REFORM PARTY (STAR): Sarawak Nationalists Gathering

Dear Sarawak Nationalists, we will be having another gathering on Sunday 26 Jan at 8:30pm in Kuching, our guest will be YB Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan, state assemblyman for Bingkor. Subject to reconfirmation nearer the date. Those who want further details pls pm me. lina.

Pix: flashback ... our New Year Sarawak Nationalists cake which turned into Kek Guling (credit Prof Has for the name change lol)

Facebook: Lina Soo

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STATE REFORM PARTY (STAR) SABAH: “PBS UPKO Should Leverage Their Presence or Leave BN" - Azroy

PRESS STATEMENT “PBS UPKO Should Leverage Their Presence or Leave BN" - Azroy 

Kota Kinabalu: “PM Najib and his Umno party have mis-used the federal government and its machinery for its own political ends and has already laid the path of no return for the nation. The BN components, particularly PBS and Upko do not have any more options. They need to leverage their presence in BN now or else bite the bullet and leave the BN or be rejected as irrelevant and incapable of protecting Sabahans from Umno/Malayan hegemony” said Hasmin Azroy Abdullah, STAR Sabah Youth Chief in a press statement released today. 

PBS and Upko leaders need to do some soul-searching and ask themselves whether they wish to continue to be used as political mules to carry out Umno’s instructions and rotten policies or to be true to their objectives to safeguard the rights of Sabah and the interests of Sabahans. 

The same applies to the other BN components in Sabah and to the Sabahans inside Sabah Umno. “I have no intention to belittle anyone or to intrude but I am just stating the obvious and which are being said by Sabahans in public and in private” said Azroy. 

The crux of the matter is not the Bible raid but the actions and inactions of the PM and the federal government that is leading Malaysia down the path of no return. It needs to be remembered that the ban on the use of the word “Allah” and others was set in 1984 during the reign of Dr. Mahathir. It has now reached the height of actions by over-zealous religious officials and agencies. 

When the High Court ruled that “Allah” was not exclusive to Muslims and had been used by Christians and other religions long before Malaya got its independence in 1957 or the formation of Malaysia in 1963. It was a decision that was consistent with the views of world-wide scholars, both Islamic and non-Islamic. 

Instead of letting the issue stand, the federal government chooses to appeal to the Court of Appeal. In overturning the High Court decision, the Court of Appeal decision while being a legal precedent that the Christian bulletin, The Herald, cannot use the word “Allah”, has opened up Pandora’s box on political interpretations. Politically, the damage is irreparable. 

While the only solution appears to be a withdrawal or setting aside of the 1984 government administration decision resulting in discontinuance of the court proceedings. However, the withdrawal will still leave political opportunists to quote the Court of Appeal decision in support of their frivolous claims for exclusivity for the use of “Allah”. 

This is a no-win situation for religious freedom which is guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. Instead and due to the pending GE-13 general election, Najib chose to pen the 10-Point solution to overcome the issue. 

This has led to the ridiculous situation where Sabahans and Sarawakians cannot use “Allah” while in the Peninsula and for West Malaysians being allowed to use “Allah” while visiting Sabah and Sarawak but not when they are in the Peninsula. 

The 10-Point solution was a political gimmick to retain the Umno/BN’s fixed deposit in Sabah and Sarawak during GE-13. It has remained a gimmick until today and is not honoured and not respected by the powers that be. 

The Bible raid is clear testimony that the 10-Point solution is a worthless piece of paper. The Umno-led BN coalition in the federal government has no intention of honouring the 10-Point solution. Period. 

Why should the Umno-led federal government honour the 10-Point solution and the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom? If its past record is anything to go by, the Malayan government masquerading as the federal government of Malaysia has for the past 50 years ignored and in instances trampled on the Malaysia Agreement and the 20-Points Memorandum. “Isn’t the Malaysia Agreement and the 20-Points paramount and more important? asked Azroy. 

Without them, there would not exist the federation of Malaysia today. Furthermore, the current PM himself and the Umno-led BN has been consistently lying to the people and broken many promises. 

If the PBS delegates at their 2013 general assembly still remember, the PM himself promised the PBS delegates to wait for the following Friday’s 2014 Budget announcement to see the goodies for Sabah. 

As it turned out, there no major goodies for Sabah and the 2014 Budget was a huge disappointment from Sabah’s perspective. “What about the BN May 2013 Manifesto and the numerous promises made during campaigning including the Labuan Bridge?” Aren’t many of these promises being broken by Umno/BN resulting in price hikes everywhere? added Azroy. 

The only conclusion is that the federal government can no longer be trusted and their promises are meaningless. Meanwhile, the mismanagement is leading Malaysia towards bankruptcy with the national debt at the RM600 billion level, perhaps already more than the 55% GPD ratio limit. 

At stake is Sabah’s oil and gas revenues, all RM26.6 billion in 2014, which are squandered by corruption and uncontrolled spending by the federal government. 

If after their soul-searching, PBS and Upko still think that they love Sabah more and still care for their fellow Sabahans and have the interest of Sabah at heart, then they have to swallow their pride and make that decision to leave BN. 

It may be heart-wrenching and difficult but it will be for the good of Sabah and go a long way in redeeming their dignity. Malaysia is burning, there is no time to stand idle and watch and to betray Sabahans anymore. 

While at it, they should also persuade their fellow Sabahans in Umno to leave Umno and join forces to stand alone and form an alternative federal government and an alternative Sabah government. They have nothing to lose but everything to gain. 

The positions and the contracts will still be there if that is their worry. 

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STATE REFORM PARTY (STAR) SABAH: Be Wary of Internal Colonization - YB DATUK DR. JEFFREY KITINGAN

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

Be Wary of Internal Colonization – Dr. Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU: “Sabahans should not be too excited with the establishment of the first UTC (Urban Transformation Centre) in Kota Kinabalu. It is nothing more than another subtle step in the internal colonization of Sabah” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, on the opening of the first UTC at Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu.

“Why is there a need to waste money setting up an UTC which cannot be done by the existing federal and state departments and agencies from their existing offices? asked Dr. Jeffrey.

It’s a sheer waste of public funds and show that the existing departments and agencies are not operating efficiently that it needs to be done at an UTC.

It is nothing more than a political gimmick with fanciful advertising for the PM and a ploy of the federal government to gain a foothold and control the individual states, Sabah in this case. 

Don’t be surprised that it will be dismantled when a new Prime Minister takes over the reins in Putrajaya.

From an equal partner in the formation of Malaysia in 1963, it has been a downward spiral for Sabah resulting in its downgrading from an equal partner to be the 12th State and exploitation of Sabah’s wealth and resources. The end result, Sabah the poorest State and an internal colony.

The Sabah government and its control and jurisdiction is slowly and surely being diluted and boxed in. Unlike the other States in the Peninsula, the federal government has created a parallel government in Sabah with the establishment of the Federal Secretary Office.

In reality, Malaya masquerading as the federal government of Malaysia is ruling and exploiting Sabah as a mere colony and raping its rich resources including all the federal revenue and 95% of its oil and gas resources to fund lop-sided and biased development in Malaya. 

In 2014, Petronas and the federal government is expected to receive RM26.6 billion from Sabah’s oil and gas resources alone. As the oil producing State, Sabah will only receive RM1.4 billion.

On the local front, federal departments and agencies are being spread out and expanded flush with federal funding that deals directly with the people and often overtaking and usurping the roles of the local Sabah agencies. They are even staffed by Malayans depriving the locals of proper job opportunities who are often left with low-ranking and menial jobs.

There is no implementation of the Borneonization policy with more than 80%-90% of federal department and agencies being headed by Malayans, many of them Muslims. When queried, the standard federal government is that the locals are not qualified and not capable to hold such positions. What a lie?

The roles and importance of local departments and agencies are diminished and some to the extent of being made redundant and closed. If unchecked, the Sabah government may one day find itself being mere postmen and office boys carrying out instructions from their political masters in Putrajaya.

On the other extreme end, Sabah has 53.5% of the abject poor households and 39.3% of the poor households in the nation. This is a statistic from the PM’s Department itself. In addition, many of Sabah’s basic facilities and amenities are third-rate, some worse than third-rate.

While other Malaysians in Malaya enjoy good sealed roads comparable to developed countries, Sabahans get only dirt and gravel roads and made to inhale dust daily from the use of these so-called “roads”. Many do not enjoy clean treated water, some not even gravity-fed water supply.

After 50 years in Malaysia, Sabah is in a pathetic state with many, many poor Sabahans. At the same time, the locals especially the natives are over-run by illegal immigrants. 

Many of them are the products of Project IC and Ops Durian Buruk and are given ICs and MyKads with voting rights and privileges as “bumiputras Islam” at the expense of the local natives.

The people of Sabah need to awaken to the internal colonization of their homeland and take action to stop Kuala Lumpur and Malaya’s colonial rule and exploitation. 

Sabahans need to unite to regain Sabah’s rights and dignity as an independent sovereign nation within the Federation, equal only to Malaya and Sarawak, not as the 12th subservient State.

“We need to rescue Sabah from the control and hegemony of Umno/Malaya. Sabah does not belong to Malaya or Malaysia. Without Sabah, there is no Malaysia” said Dr. Jeffrey.

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman

STAR Sabah

11 January 2014

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It’s not the first time that questions about Sabah’s place in Malaysia have surfaced.

KOTA KINABALU: If not Malaysia, then what? It’s a question that’s coming more into focus in Sabah and Sarawak as religious tensions escalate in the peninsula sending shudders through the

two states.

It’s not the first time that questions about Sabah’s place in Malaysia have surfaced. In 1965, former chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens wanted a review of Sabah’s participation in Malaysia after Singapore’s exit.

Stephen’s reasoning was that it was because of Singapore that Sabah joined Malaysia since the island was out of the federation, there was no longer any reason for the Borneo state to continue to be in the federation.

Forty-eight years later the question has returned but this time with more vigour, riding a wave of poverty and hardship, racial supremacy and religious zingers that are ricocheting around  and threatening to cause major damage to the peace and harmony in the state.

Kitingan

State assembly representative for Bingkor, Jeffrey Kitingan, claims the federal government is standing idly by watching the country lurch from crisis to crisis.

This has left many wondering if the idea of a federation was a mistake as the peace, harmony and unity that existed before the formation of Malaysia in 1963 has disappeared.

“Already many are clamouring for Sabah Sarawak to leave Malaysia,” he claimed when commenting on the rising racial tensions, attacks on religious freedom and growing fanaticism among  members and supporters of Umno, the main party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

The disaffection among the masses, he maintains, comes from a growing awareness that both states which are rich in natural resources have no control over their wealth to improve their living standards even though both lag far behind the peninsula in terms of development.

In the ‘70s, Sabah was ranked just behind Selangor including the capital Kuala Lumpur as the richest state in Malaysia. As of 2010, Sabah has been declared the poorest state in Malaysia. It’s GDP growth was just 2.4%.

Slums, the hallmark of an impoverished and decaying society, have become widespread in the state and it is not uncommon to find squatter settlements housing up to 40,000 residents.

All these are considered nuisances and borne with an air of resignation if not tolerated.

However, as push has now come to shove since recently snubbed politicians and their supporters are hellbent on articulating racial supremacy and curtailing the religious rights of minorities, Malaysians in the Borneo states are starting to pose awkward questions about their purpose and place in the nation.

They are paying careful attention to statements on the on-going controversy emanating out of the peninsula. On Wednesday, news portal Malaysiakini reported that Syariah Lawyers Association (PGSM) president Musa Awang noted that the raid and seizure of the Bibles was pertinent because the bulk of them were in a language largely used by Malays who are Muslims.

But Musa ignores the fact that Malaysia does not comprise only Malaya. The national language was imposed on Sabahans by the Usno government in the early 1970s. They still resent it but they knuckled down and learned the language for the sake of unity. Sabahans now have every right to turn around and tell Musa to mind his language and stop being chauvinistic.

Another fact that is forgotten is that the Sabah Constitution was amended in 1973 to make Islam the religion of state. It was secular in nature prior to this. The change was imposed in a bid to limit the role of the mainly Christian indigenous community in state politics.

Subsequently Muslim immigrants from the Philippines, Indonesia and even south Asia were allowed into the state and granted citizenship in the early 1990s to help topple the duly elected Christian state government. The clandestine scheme that is now being investigated has significantly altered the demography of Sabah in just 50 years.

The people of Sabah and Sarawak are losing patience.

Credits: Borneo Insider

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STATE REFORM PARTY (STAR) SABAH: “Mahathir Should Rectify Umno/Malayan Hegemony" - YB DATUK DR. JEFFREY KITINGAN

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

KOTA KINABALU: Former prime minister Mahathir Mohammad has been asked  to work his magic to end Umno’s hegemony over the other races and over Sabah and Sarawak.

“He should take the opportunity to redeem some of his past mistakes instead of making insincere statements to hoodwink the people to continue the Umno stranglehold on the country,” said STAR Sabah chief Jeffrey Kitingan.

Commenting on the ex-premier’s statement to BN on adjustments in power-sharing, he claimed that in private, the other BN leaders would acknowledge that there is no real power-sharing in BN nowadays and everything is decided by Umno and imposed on the other BN components.

This can be clearly seen, he said, each time Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak came out of Umno Supreme Council meetings and announced major government policies without referring to the other BN parties.

“It is a stark reality that the other BN components are powerless and have no say whatsoever.

“They are there only for window dressing to fill up positions and to give a picture of credibility for the Umno regime,” he said.

The Bingkor Assemblyman went on to note that if the situation was bad and reaching breaking-point for the BN components and other races in the peninsula, it was worse in the case of the Borneo states, particularly Sabah.

“Whatever the pro-Umno, pro-federal government and other detractors may say, the reality is that Sabah is treated as a colony by Umno/Malaya masquerading as the federal government of Malaysia and aided by Sabah Umno/BN leaders,” he said.

He reminded that the original intention of forming the federation of Malaysia was to be a political association between Malaya, Singapore and the Borneo territories of North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak and Brunei.

“After 50 years, it is no longer a political association, more a racial, religious hegemony by Umno/Malaya. Fortunately for Brunei, they pulled out at the last minute,” he said.

Sabah and Sarawak were never meant to be the 12th and 13th states in Malaysia, equal in status to the likes of Perlis, Malacca or Selangor and 50 years on, Malaysia today is not the federation that was outlined.

“Although Malaysians share its uniqueness in diversity in race, religion and culture, the political reality is essentially Umno/Malay hegemony in the Peninsula and Umno/Malaya hegemony over Sabah and Sarawak.

“There is no real power-sharing, just domination, domination and more domination by Umno.

The domination has gone to the extent of twisting the facts of history and the formation of Malaysia, even the age and independence of Malaysia.

“Another form of domination is the use of the government agencies and security apparatus for their political purposes inching closer and closer to making Malaysia a police state,” he lamented.

Kitingan claimed that much of this domination happened during the time of Mahathir and the Tun Abdul Razak, the father of the present Prime Minister Najib and that it had gotten worse during the latter’s tenure.

“This was despite his “1Malaysia” slogan which has now been reduced to nothing but a hollow-and-meaningless slogan which has been rendered “1-Melayu” as evidenced at the recent Umno general assembly,” he said.

He thus reiterated that it is only appropriate for Mahathir to initiate the ending of this Umno/Malaya hegemony and for the present Prime Minister to implement it.

“Only then will true peace and harmony prevail in the Peninsula and equal partnership prevails between Malaya and the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak,” he stressed.

He further noted that Sabahans and Sarawakians share little in common with their cousins in the peninsula other than being Malaysians due to the merger to form Malaysia in 1963.

“If the hegemony cannot be ended, it may be better for the Malayan/Malaysian government to consider Sabah and Sarawak’s departure as what has been expounded time and again and openly by narrow-minded Umno and other Malay leaders,” he concluded.

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Anyone Can Say 'Allah', Not Only Muslims

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STATE REFORM PARTY (STAR) SABAH: Should Sabah Sarawak Leave to Preserve Peace and Harmony? - YB DATUK DR. JEFFREY KITINGAN

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

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.

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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By, Rajah Raqafluz

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What Young Sarawakian Means to Us - RAJAH RAQAFLUZ

Sarawak since it nationhood in 1841 is a democratic, secular state of law with a historic, deep-rooted and wealthy culture dating back more than 175 years, the continuation of numerous regional division established in a swathe of territory extending from Kuching to the  interior reaching as far as Kapit and Lawas region.

Two great states founded by our nation, the Sarawak Government (1841-2014) and Malaysia federation (1963-2014), became models for the world. With its unbounded tolerance and love, it adopted the principle of Peace in the Homeland, Peace in the Federation, on matters such as liberty, human rights and justice. The Sarawak nation want peace, tranquility and love in the world.

Of course, like many other states, our Sarawak naion and Malaysia federation has overcome hard times and has undergone intense struggles for democracy. The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition administration is in its 50th year, and the transition to a multiparty democracy has yet to be fully established. As of 2008, the aftermath of General Election 13, the country has been enjoying a new spring and is governed according to the legal and democratic norms in the principle of two-party system. The Malaysian spring on 2013, aftermath of General Election 14 with its pluralist democracy, is reflected in the parliament and local administrations with substantial majorities' votes in the elections have been achieve by opposition front of Pakatan Rakyat and United Borneo Front.

An environmental rearrangement scheduled for dam construction, Native Customary Rights (NCR) land development turned into a protest action for reasons such as the lack of proper public relations works, the planned project not being submitted for the approval of the residents of the village, city and some of our citizens not regarding the steps being taken as acceptable. Our valuable young people making use of their democratic right to protest freely were exposed to a mistaken and harsh attitude on the part of the police in the first days of the protests. 

In brief, no action using terror and violence, that raises tensions in Sarawak and the entire Malaysia federation and that damages public order and peace is acceptable in this country, as it would not be in any other democratic country.

Sarawakian young people with sincere environmental beliefs involved in the dam construction protest, fine young people, young people with broad horizons, intelligent young people, these are Sarawakian people. They have a modern conception of religious harmony. They are against extremism and bigotry. They are ultra modern. Sarawakian are people of love. They are compassionate, they feel affection for dogs and cats and trees, and feel sorry for the poor. They enhance their own culture. They are kind and respectful toward one another.

Sarawakian people attach great importance to these characteristics, liberty and democracy. The whole world knows this is what makes Sarawak as well as Sabah different from Malaya and other countries in the region. Indeed, is that not why the Western and Eastern world points to Sarawak as a role model for harmoniuos countries?

The verse of the Koran that reads "There is no compulsion in the religion" (2:256) shows that the faith foresees the most highly developed democracies.

In particular, the way for the democratic structure we all want to see to flourish for Sarawakian is for Sarawak to be progressive and enlightened character to be shown as a role model in the region.

Rajah Raqafluz (Pen name) is the admin for "STAR TODAY". Believe in STAR Sarawak and United Borneo Front (UBF), advocate of Borneo Agenda, Friends of the Trust and a firm follower of Harunyahya.

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