KUCHING, May 14: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan gave a 60-page statement to the police in two days over a lawsuit filed by 11 Sarawakians in court that seeks to pull Sarawak out of Malaysia.
In the lawsuit, Voon, who is acting as the legal counsel of the 11 Sarawakians, argued that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which is the treaty that binds Malaysia, should be void due to certain breaches to the foundational terms.
“I could refuse to give the statement because there are criminal allegations against me. Being a person suspected of a crime, I have the right to remain silent under the law. I told the officer that the investigation against me is malicious and an abuse of police powers.
“But it also gave me an opportunity to speak on many issues on how the Federation of Malaysia was formed on September 16, 1963,” he said in a statement today.
Noting that many opposed to the formation of Malaysia have been branded as ‘communists’ as their actions were deemed illegal, Voon defended that this was unfair and incorrect under the law because citizens have a right to freedom of speech and expression.
“Many who feared arrest had been forced to leave their homes and went into hiding, with some taking arms to resist arrest and defend themselves. I showed all my research regarding these to the police officer when I gave my statement,” he added.
In his statement, Voon said he also detailed the Cobbold Commission Report and MA63, which were signed to hand North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore to the Federation of Malaya to enlarge the territories in the forming of the Federation of Malaysia.
“Personally, I viewed that the Cobbold Commission Report was used as a ‘front’ or ‘cover’ to legalise the making of MA63, which was then used by the British to overcome possible complexities that the United Kingdom (UK) government would face with the C24 Committee of the United Nations.
“Under United Nations General Assembly 1514, North Borneo and Sarawak, being colonies of the UK, need to be decolonised. The UK owes this obligation to decolonise Sabah and Sarawak until today,” he opined.
Voon also raised the discrimination against Sabah and Sarawak by the federal government and the loss suffered by the two Borneo States in resources, including water, marine wealth and oil and gas, after Malaysia was formed.
Meanwhile, the 11 Sarawakians (plaintiffs) led by Dorus Karan Juman filed the lawsuit in the Kuching High Court last year to remove Sarawak from the Federation of Malaysia with the amended writ and statement of claim served to the defendants, namely Putrajaya, as well as the British and Sarawak governments recently.
However, the Sarawak Attorney General’s (SAG) Chambers had, on April 13, filed an application to strike out the lawsuit with necessary legal documents served on the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs have 14 days to oppose the application before the court, while another case management will be held on June 30. — DayakDaily
