KUCHING: Parti Bansa DAYAK Sarawak BARU (PBDSB) fully supports the statement made by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan that sincere actions will go a long way towards restoring confidence in the Borneo states in Malaysia.
In a press statement, PBDSB said: “…if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak can walk the walk and talk the talk by making practical and actionable commitment, it would go a long way to restore confidence in the Borneo States in Malaysia. Otherwise, what is there to celebrate about during Malaysia Day on 16th September?”
Kitingan who is the Bingkor assemblyman-cum-president of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Sabah had said it would be meaningful only if Najib could make actionable commitments to fulfil Sabah’s special rights and status as an equal partner in the Federation during Najib’s visit to Sabah on the eve of Malaysia’s 54th anniversary.
PBDSB opined that Najib should take the necessary practical commitments and initiatives to fulfill his commitments and words after the 54 ‘long suffering years’ by honouring commitments written in the Federal Constitution.
“Majority people in Sabah and Sarawak are restless. They are losing confidence in the Federation, some even to the extent of wanting to be out of Malaysia, fueled by the government’s inaction and non-compliance.
“To make Malaysia Day more meaningful, Najib should show positive action and response that he, as the current Prime Minister, can save Malaysia and be different by fulfilling what other past Prime Ministers didn’t.”
PBDSB said for the past 54 years since the respective independence and the formation of Malaysia, with the participation of Sarawak and Sabah, the Borneo states have suffered many losses and negative experiences.
Among the highlighted causes are the loss of autonomous rights, revenues and finances; the loss of ownership of oil, gas and other natural resources; the loss of business and employment opportunities for youths who are forced to go to Peninsular Malaysia and overseas for employment; dilapidated Sarawak schools and education institutions mostly in native Dayak rural areas which are not being resolved, with only 29.8 per cent considered in good condition; issues of stateless citizenship for Dayak natives in Sarawak; and unresolved Dayak native land issues.
“Both Borneo States of Sarawak and Sabah had became poor, …. two of the poorest states in Malaysia, which does not even sound logical despite our vast and rich natural resources, with such a strategic location and also huge economic potentials.
PBDSB called for a return to the equal partnership that formed the basis of the formation of Malaysia.
“Sabah and Sarawak agreed to form Malaysia on certain conditions and with specific safeguards but these have been forgotten. How to define equal partnership between Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah, when Sarawak and Sabah are being treated on equal grounds with the individual state entities under the federation of Malaya instead? The equal partnership should be amongst three parties (Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah) as nation formation and not the 14 state formation.”
