Malaysia is so divided now – yet we pretended to be together

By Sheridan Mahavera ( The Malaysian Insider)

Dayakbaru:

The Malay through UMNO and holding political power use the BN concept to push through Malay – Muslim view in sabah Sarawak. UMNO operated through their agent, Musa in Sabah and Taib in Sarawak.

The wealth of this agent who rule Sabah and Sarawak is dumb founding. They become demi-god, handing wealth opportunities to those who crawl and bow before them.

Sabah and Sarawak must stand together and say “NO” to the Islamization of the natives and also to make us follow their narrow values. We must keep our natural harmony. Many of those who call themselves Malay are indeed not – they came from Pakistan, Iran, Iraq. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India etc. Being Muslim, learn to speak Malay and adopt Malay ways of dressing declare themselves Malay and therefor BUMIPUTERA.

These are the very people who came from racially confused countries and values and trying to force their way into our Sabah Sarawak lives. These people can be rich and powerful but at least we know they are FAKE bumiputera.

All they care for is money, position and 4 wives.

Sharing Sarawak Rich Natural resources

With the impending completion and soon-to-be commissioned Bakun Dam, Malaysians will get a glimpse of yet another irony in the incongruent tapestry of their country.

Sacrifice that the native made

A core component of Sarawak’s huge power corridor of more than 13 proposed hydro-electric dams in the state, Bakun reportedly aims to supply power to mega-industries like Rio Tinto’s aluminium smelter, and to the towns and industry of Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. All the former residents of the remote Bakun watershed in central Sarawak who were re-settled to make way for the huge dam will thus see Bakun’s power transported from the hydro-electric dam to other parts of the state and beyond the South China Sea — via massive overland and submarine cables.

Almost nothing for the native

A majority of Sarawak’s rural folk will thus see Bakun’s electricity pass them by. Many rural residents will continue to get their electricity from noisy personal generators that they have to feed with their own diesel.

It promises to be another flesh-and-blood example of the continuing tragedy of Sarawak — where the precious fruits of its resources are taken out for others to enjoy while the poor locals sit by and watch.

Same story in Sabah

The story is also repeated in Sabah, where whole villages have to rely on Western NGOs to build simple freshwater supply systems while Putrajaya elites boast about how Malaysia sent a man into space.

These stories are strung together to form that collective lament that is heard every Aug 31 and Sept 16: why is it that after 46 years of Malaysia, Sabahans and Sarawakians feel no closer to Peninsular Malaysians?

Petroleum Revenue are shared – more for West Malaysia

Many young Sarawakians and Sabahans believe that their two homelands have given more in terms of petroleum revenues and votes for a peninsula-centric ruling coalition than they have received in terms of development.

Not treated as equal

Most importantly, many of them feel that because they are still not treated as equal siblings in the Malaysian family, the only recourse would be for Sabah and Sarawak to go their own way, apparently.

Can we be united together?

In other words, is the divide between the two regions in terms of infrastructure and culture so irreconcilable even after nearly five decades, that many feel Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula might as well be foreign countries in the true sense of the word?

Divided by history and design

Talking about a “divide” between the three homelands is tricky. The individual histories of these regions, their multi-cultural populations and how their societies have evolved right up to 1963 makes it seem as if they were meant to be organically different from one another.

Distance

There is also the geographical distance. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak political scientist Dr Andrew Aeria points to the sea that literally separates the three areas as a factor that has widened the chasm between their peoples.

It was precisely because of these differences in terms of development between the peninsula and Sarawak and Sabah that the latter’s forefathers insisted on a set of conditions that would govern these two regions once they agreed to form Malaysia.

The 20-point agreement for Sabah and the 18-point for Sarawak allowed local leaders wide freedom to craft education, language and physical development policies that would suit the special needs of the two regions.

20-point agreement

Some of its provisions included the freedom not to have Islam as the state religion, (point 1) the ability to manage immigration (point 6), control of revenues and where the monies are spent (point 11) and creating school systems (15) that would serve the needs of their various communities.

Sabah and Sarawak as colony to Malaya

The agreements, says Dayak social activist Dr John Brian Anthony, would prevent both states from being colonised by peninsula-oriented Malay-Muslim interests.

Out of all the provisions, only the immigration control remains the fully functional provision, adds Anthony.

“Somehow, the federal government has ignored the agreement and even changed the ‘rules’ without the consent of Sarawak and Sabah,” he says.

Aeria however disagrees and points out that the watering down of the various provisions were accomplished through a series of bureaucratic changes and constitutional amendments agreed upon and supported by pliant state government regimes installed by Kuala Lumpur.

Sabah and Sarawak were gradually pulled into the sphere of influence emanating from Kuala Lumpur and they were made to adopt its bureaucratic system, like in education.

Revenue given to West Malaysia

Most of the revenues from their natural resources were given over to the peninsula. For example, Sabah and Sarawak’s petroleum reserves are controlled by Petronas on account of the 1974 Petroleum Development Act, which handed over control of petroleum resources in the whole country to Petronas and which allocates five per cent of royalties to each oil-producing state (including Sabah and Sarawak).

Sabah flooded by immigrants

Still, even though Sabah controls immigration, this has not prevented it from being flooded by illegals during the 1990s. The sudden increase of dubious citizens of Indonesian and Filippino origin has been a constant problem in Sabah society, which locals have blamed on the Barisan Nasional federal government.

Federal government tried to change the ethnic character of Sabah and Sarawak

But what has anguished Sabahans and Sarawakians the most is arguably the way the BN federal government has tried to insidiously change the ethnic character of both states.

In the words of Kota Kinabalu resident Dayang Yohana Awang Salleh, the federal government has “taken all our revenue but only given us racism and religious intolerance”.

Bringing closer but drifting

If the old divide was due to geography and historical circumstance, the modern rift ironically comes from how the peninsula-centric federal government has tried to bring the three regions together.

The freedom to fashion Sarawak and Sabah societies according to their needs was eroded so that they became less of the autonomous entities envisioned in the agreements to more of units within and dependent on a strong, centralised organisation headed from Kuala Lumpur.

National Muslim Malay identity can lead to hatred in Sabah and Sarawak

As power receded from these states, the Federal BN began sowing the seeds of a Malay-Muslim national identity that grated with the inter-ethnic harmony in Sabah and Sarawak.

“In their policies, the federal government has little appreciation of the sheer diversity of ethnicities, faiths, languages, lifestyles, dreams and hopes of Sabahans and Sarawakians,” says Aeria.

Teachers to make the native “civilize”

This re-engineering of their societies was felt most acutely in schools. Teachers from the peninsula, many claim, come to Sarawak and Sabah schools with high-minded ambitions to cajole, school and civilise the natives.

Dayang Yohana relates how almost overnight, the students in her secondary school had been segregated into Malay and non-Malay groups by their peninsula teachers.

“My friends used to mix freely and we didn’t even look at each other as Malay or non-Malay. But suddenly the Malay kids would be separated and put into special classes.

“They were told not to mix with the non-Malays and that they had to compete with them in the exams.

“It was distressing because these teachers were essentially telling us that it was wrong to mix with the non-Malay friends that we had grown up with,” she says.

Kuching Experience - racial arrogance of West Malaysian teachers

Kuching-based photographer Norman Goh relates the same thing when speaking of his experiences as a former teacher.

“Teachers that I came into contact with from the peninsula would tell Sarawakian students and teachers that they should not mix with other races. We hate this attitude because in Sarawak we mix freely with each other.”

This is not just about peninsula arrogance and the way they impose such racial attitudes upon Sabahans and Sarawakians.

Muslim teachers are enforcing narrow values

Adam, a secondary school teacher in Sarawak, points to how their attitude towards ethnicity and religion colours everyday life and makes it hard for Sabahans and Sarawakians to live in the peninsula and vice versa.

“In Sarawak, you can be a non-Muslim and use terms like Alhamdulillah (praise Allah) and Allah and it’s not a problem. But I can never say these things in the peninsula,” says Adam, who declined to reveal his full identity for fear of repercussions in his job.

It also does not help that Merdeka on Aug 31 has long been given more importance than Sept 16, Malaysia Day.

“This speaks volumes about what the BN federal and state governments think of the position of Sabah and Sarawak in the federation. How else does one interpret this symbolism?” asks Aeria.

Sept 16th is Malaysia Day

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, however, recently announced that Sept 16 would be a national holiday starting from 2010 to commemorate Malaysia Day. Although belated, this announcement will undoubtedly be welcomed by Sabahans and Sarawakians.

Although a disconnect still exists, Unimas’ Aeria stresses that many Sabahans, Sarawakians and Peninsular Malaysians blend in seamlessly both ways.

Although the psychological disconnect can be disputed what is harder to ignore is the brick and mortar differences between the living standards between the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak.

Even Health care is insufficient

Adam cites how despite Sarawak’s natural riches, it still struggles to provide adequate health care even in highly urban Kuching.

While schools, houses, roads and towns have been built and standards of living have risen in Sabah and Sarawak says Aeria, poverty has also deepened and income inequality has increased.

“Given the resource-based structure of the economies of Sabah and Sarawak, job opportunities are severely limited and more and more natives are forced to work outside Sabah and Sarawak to earn decent incomes.

Bitter-sweet development

“In other words, the Barisan Nasional has delivered a very bitter-sweet form of development-deprivation in East Malaysia.”

A return to the past or leap to the future?

The majority of noise in cyberspace generated by critical Sabahans and Sarawakians is for a return to the 20- and 18-point agreements.

The full implementation of each of the points is seen as the ultimate salve for the wounds Sabahans and Sarawakians feel they have sustained over the 46 years of their association with Malaya.

The points are trumpeted as the solutions that will end the “orang Semenanjung, orang Sabah, orang Sarawak” syndrome and bring their peoples together.

Sabah / Sarawak do not have official State religion

Advocates for a return to the agreements claim that it would empower non-Muslim indigenous groups by getting rid of any official state religion and that natives get Bumiputera status recognition that is equal to that accorded the Malays in the peninsula.

The agreements would also stop peninsula policy-makers from coming in and disrupting the close ethnic concord between communities.

Little knowledge

Malaysian Orang Asal Network president Adrian Lasimbang claims that peninsula-oriented federal government officers are often unaware that the many tribes of both states have Bumiputera status.

“Education and welfare aid is mainly in the hands of federal government agencies. But its officers often think that only Malays are Bumiputeras.

Bumiputera from Sabah / Sarawak denied their privilege

“We have many cases of non-Malay Bumiputeras being denied aid while new Bumiputeras get help,” Lasimbang says. He uses the term “new Bumiputera” to refer to the thousands of illegal immigrants who became citizens through dubious means in the 1990s.

The problem, he says, could have been easily overcome had the federal agencies been “Borneanised” with natives aware of Sabah’s and Sarawak’s diversity.

Dayak Chief Minister or Governor

Anthony, who runs the well known dayakbaru.com website, claims that the erosion of the no-state-religion principle has prevented a Dayak from becoming either chief minister or Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

“When Tunku Abdul Rahman was campaigning in Sarawak to sell the Malaysia idea, he pledged that should the chief minister be Muslim, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri must be Dayak. I specifically remember this being broadcasted on the radio.”

Islamization creeping into Sarawak / Sabah

“But ever since Islamisation crept into Sarawak, the powers-that-be insist that a Yang di-Pertua Negeri be a Muslim. This should not be.”

Building unity

Yet, despite the promise of autonomy and self-sustainability of the agreements, the question must be asked: can the people of the three regions be unified if the solution to their schism lies in implementing policies that would make life in Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula so different from each other that they will really seem like foreign countries?

Unimas’ Aeria points to how this has occurred with immigration controls.

A foreigner under the “Malaysia, My Second Home” programme can get a 10-year residence visa in both Sabah and Sarawak. A Peninsular Malaysian, however, wanting to spend a lengthy sojourn in both states is only entitled to a three-month visit pass that must be constantly renewed by exiting and re-entering the states. As well, all Peninsular Malaysians who work in both states but who are not attached to the federal civil service are required to apply for a work visa, which must be renewed annually or every two years. All Peninsular Malaysians are required to leave the state upon retirement — the exception being only when a Peninsular Malaysian is granted PR status or is married to a local.

Sabahans and Sarawakians working and living in Peninsular Malaysia face no such hurdles.

“Immigration controls therefore no longer serve any meaningful purpose. They only reinforce the mental and psychological divides in our mind instead of building up a sense of oneness and emotional belonging. It is time we removed these barriers to unity.”

Is 20 or 18 point mere rhetoric?

Aeria thus believes that talk of the 20-point and 18-point agreements is mere rhetoric and that the solution to Sabah and Sarawak’s woes lies in looking towards the future instead of to the past.

“What we do need today are more just and respectful policies and more development funds that deliberately aim at overturning the hitherto neglect of both Sabah and Sarawak in the national developmental agenda.

“Policies must recognise the unique religious, cultural and linguistic diversities of the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak as being as important as any other mainstream ethnic community in the country.

Native language must be recognized

“Recognition of the main languages of Sabah (Kadazan-Dusun) and Sarawak (Iban) has to be officially institutionalised at all levels.”

For the youths interviewed for this article, the only lasting solution would be mutual separation although this is forbidden in the two agreements.

Singapore has done well – to leave Malaysia

Marketing executive Mike Cheng points to how well Singapore has done when it left Malaysia in 1965.

Sabah / Sarawak may break off from Malaysia

“They broke away and made it big. Borneo is larger in size and we have more resources; so it is very possible that we could do just as well. Unless the federal government is sincere about doing justice to Sarawak and Sabah, we feel we would be better off on our own.”

Kuching-based Adam was ecstatic over the prospect.

“It would be the only way where we could finally control all our resources to use it for our people.

“Now we only get five per cent of the oil revenue; imagine what we could do with all of it. It’s not that I do not love Malaysia, but I feel that if we were on our own maybe the people of Sarawak can finally be the masters of their land.”

Secession forbidden

However, this option is extremely difficult. The 1963 Malaysia Act forbids secession.

A better bet to healing the rift would be for voters to enact political change on the ground, starting with their local leaders.

This is already happening as seen in the 2008 general election where support in middle-class, urban constituencies is shifting towards non-BN candidates and parties.

Aeria, however, feels that parties such as the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat offer little substantial value for the electorate in terms of principles or policies.

“There is presently no opposition worth talking about to even begin contesting elections here.”

People talk – result of 2008 March speaks

Not too long ago, people used the same line of argument when discussing opposition parties in Peninsular Malaysia, before March 2008.

In fact, much of the speculation in the run-up to that election predicted that BN would win handily in all states except Kelantan. No one, not even the Pakatan Rakyat parties themselves, expected them to keep Kelantan and take over four more states.

BN attitude may have change now

Though how the Pakatan administrations are currently faring is debatable, their victories have brought changes in attitude in how the BN relates to the aspirations of Malaysians.

It could be argued that the liberalisation of the economy by stripping away pro-Malay regulations and a review of the Internal Security Act could not have been done if the BN had not lost ground last year.

Though much of the rhetoric was inflammatory, the concerns highlighted by the banned Hindu Rights Action Front on behalf of the Indian community have made the Prime Minister himself pay serious attention to this ethnic group.

A loud and clear signal at the ballot box would jolt the local and federal BN that the populace rejects their current divide-and-deprive methods.

No peninsula -style racism must end for Sabah and Sarawak

There is thus every possibility that Sabahans and Sarawakians will soon see the end of peninsula-style racism, the start of more funds to the states and more respect for indigenous rights.

There is always hope ( The Bible say so)

But for that to happen, they have to believe that there is hope — not only for change through the ballot box but for a better shared destiny between east and west Malaysia. — aliran.com

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December 11, 2009 · Filed Under Culture

Comments

8 Responses to “Malaysia is so divided now – yet we pretended to be together”

bujang ringat on December 11th, 2009 10:00 pm

Enti laut enggau laut enda tau bergulai,nama agi kitai Iban.

UJI BERATI KA JAKO BA BAROH TU.

Ada dua soalan menarik yang dikemukakan oleh Nga Kor Meng, MP Taiping yang patut dijawab oleh Umno.

Pertama, bagaimana rakyat Malaysia boleh menghayati konsep 1 Malaysia dan ketuanan Melayu sedangkan konsep itu tidak memperlihatkan kesaksamaan dari segi bangsa?

Kedua, adakah konsep ketuanan Melayu yang diperjuangkan oleh Umno adalah selari dengan impian bangsa Malaysia yang terdiri daripada Melayu, Cina, India dan sebagainya? “IBAN NADAI JAKO NYA, ENDA TERMASUK DALAM LIST”.

Semua orang tahu, ketuanan Melayu hanyalah retorik Umno sahaja. Ianya dilaungkan sungguh-sungguh semasa Umno kurang mendapat sokongan orang Melayu.

Kini, ketika Umno semakin hilang sokongan bukan Melayu, parti itu mempromosikan pula konsep 1 Malaysia, konsep yang lebih lunak berbanding ketuanan Melayu yang agak rasis.

Ringkasnya, semasa orang Melayu tak sokong Umno, guna ketuanan Melayu dan semasa bukan Melayu pula tak sokong Umno, guna 1 Malaysia.

Bolehkah kita kata begini? Ketuanan Melayu dan 1 Malaysia adalah ketuanan Umno dan 1 Umno. Umno bukan membela Melayu dan bukan Melayu tetapi membela orang Umno. Itu pun sebahagian orang Umno sahaja.

Sampai sekarang Umno bermusuh dengan Melayu yang tidak menyokong Umno. Buktinya, royalti minyak Kelantan tidak diberikan kepada kerajaan dan rakyat Kelantan. Kerajaan Kelantan adalah kerajaan orang Melayu dan rakyat Kelantan, 95 peratus adalah orang Melayu.

Umno juga bermusuh dengan orang bukan Melayu yang tidak menyokong Umno. Buktinya, Umno memusuhi DAP tetapi tidak memusuhi MCA. Umno tidak menyerang Pulau Pinang semasa diperintah Gerakan tetapi menyerangnya semasa diperintah DAP. Gerakan adalah Melayu?

Semasa Umno bermusuh dengan orang Melayu, Umno berbohong dengan konsep ketuanan Melayu dan semasa Umno bermusuh dengan DAP, Umno berbohong dengan konsep 1 Malaysia.

Apa yang benar? Umno hanya tidak bermusuh dengan (sebahagian) Melayu Umno dan tidak bermusuh dengan (sebahagian) bukan Melayu yang menyokong Umno.

Mengapa pula sebahagian? Kerana ada ahli Umno sendiri yang tidak mengundi Umno. Kalau Umno tidak bermusuh dengan orang Umno, tentu tidak akan ada ahli Umno yang tidak mengundi Umno.

Ramai orang Melayu yang melarat, bukan kerana mereka tidak layak menerima bantuan tetapi kerana mereka bukan Umno.

Dulu, semasa borang buku teks sekolah perlukan tandatangan JKKK Umno, ramai anak Melayu yang tidak ditandatangani borang itu oleh JKKK. Anak Melayu begitu dapat buku teks dengan ihsan guru sahaja. Bolehkah orang Melayu melupakan kezaliman Umno itu?

Hari ini, Umno tidak memberikan hak rakyat Kelantan, royalti. Bolehkah 30 tahun lagi rakyat Kelantan melupakan kezaliman Umno ini?

Kalau apa yang dibuat oleh Umno kepada orang Melayu 10 atau 20 tahun lalu, masih diingati oleh orang Melayu kini, maknanya kezaliman Umno hari ini akan tetap dikenang oleh generasi 20 dan 30 tahun akan datang.

Maksudnya, hari ini orang Melayu benci Umno. 20 atau 30 tahun lagi pun, orang Melayu benci Umno.

Umno juga pernah bermusuh dengan bukan Melayu. Semak balik kenyataan pemimpin-pemimpin Umno ketika krisis parti itu dengan MCA. Apatah lagi tindakan pemimpin-pemimpin Umno terhadap orang bukan Melayu DAP.

Kalau orang Melayu tidak boleh melupakan kejahatan Umno, tentu itu juga perasaan orang bukan Melayu kepada Umno. Kebencian kepada Umno oleh orang Melayu dan bukan Melayu tidak pernah pudar. Kenapa? Kerana Umno menipu mereka dengan slogan yang diciptanya, ketuanan Melayu dan 1 Malaysia.
BERAPA MAIOH PROJECT ELETRIK BA RUMAH PANJAI SEMINA BISI TALI AJE…..TIANG PEMULA DI PASANG LALU BEDA SIAP SERTA NADAI API. BA..CHAT…
Malaysia is so divided now – yet we pretended to be together : Dr … | Malay Today on December 11th, 2009 10:51 pm

[...] more from the original source: Malaysia is so divided now – yet we pretended to be together : Dr … Share and [...]
dayaklama on December 11th, 2009 10:59 pm

By Sheridan Mahavera ( The Malaysian Insider)

Sabah and Sarawak as colony to Malaya

The agreements, says Dayak social activist Dr John Brian Anthony, would prevent both states from being colonised by peninsula-oriented Malay-Muslim interests.
————————————————-

The way we DL see it Dr.John cannot run away from being conned and neither he could resist PKR or PR as a whole with PAS who are autocratic islam to come and colonise Sarawak. He and his cohort in DB had opened and welcome these political party leaders to test the water with their political agenda in Sarawak.
DB is not preventing or upholding the agreement but they broke it.

Despite all the effort by the opposition to split the rakyat, the Malaysian are matured enough to stay united and led their normal lives. We heard of bombing, killings and shooting never cease in Pakistan. This lead to civil unrest. The over populated India and you can see people pushing themselves to the over loaded train causing stampede resulting in injuries. In Malaysia we have not and never have that experience yet.

Yes there is a slight rupture to the ties among Malaysian races and in IMalaysia spirit will able to mend these and peoples are getting happier each day with many amendments made by the BN gomen.
Malaysia is so divided now – yet we pretended to be together : Dr … | Malaysia Chronicle on December 12th, 2009 12:46 am

[...] View original here: Malaysia is so divided now – yet we pretended to be together : Dr … [...]
Rentap on December 12th, 2009 10:32 am

“There is a limit in people patience. Please don’t mess it up more.”
merakat anak Piun on December 14th, 2009 8:45 am

Dayaklama…not all DB support PKR/PR. I am Dayakbaru and I am not at all support PKR/PR as I know that they will do the same as BN. Frm what I had been observing since 1964, I concluded that Malaysia is nothing more than allowing Malaya to colonize Sarawak.

Yes, I don’t discount that Malaya had made few millionaires and many “untong atas anggin” people like you Dayaklama, but the reality is Sarawak had badly colonized, raped and butchered by Malaya. Now another 3,000 more teachers are coming to continue on with the colonial master’s agenda.

Yes, Malaya(BN) had taught and trained Sarawak for the last 46 years to be one of the worst corrupted country in the world.

Dayaklama, where are all our own Sarawak Teachers? Is Sarawak going backward where it can’t even have no manpower for teaching position. There are thousand or jobless school leavers and graduates.

Dayaklama don’t bit around the bush, just tell Dayak baru your real agenda in supporting such action by Malaya?
gerabusengkiong on December 14th, 2009 2:02 pm

Only people who are politically blind would not see that Malaysia is indeed divided. Anybody who would not accept that Malaysia is divided must certainly has his eyesight impaired by too much indulgence in BN goodies all this while. I ask people like this to really search his or her conscience. Let’s not kid yourself, pal. And how would you like it if either your son or daughter comes home from school one day and tells you:”Apai,aku udah masuk Islam, laban lama bala pengajar ari Malaya udah ngajar kami pasal penguntong masok agama nya.” To those who always like to clown around with this reality, please be serious. You never know that you or any member of your immediately family (especially your loved ones) could be the next victim.
Awat on December 14th, 2009 9:16 pm

Right on the SPOT!

Shabas!