KUCHING, Oct 4: Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) is glad that a petition it initiated in 2015 had drawn the attention of the United Nations (UN).
This follows a statement made by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during the US-Asean dinner in the United States recently that acknowledged the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) had no provision to prevent Sarawak and Sabah from seceding from the Federation of Malaysia.
S4S spokesperson Lucas Chin, in a statement, said according to a media report from an online news portal, the prime minister was asked by UN members whether Sarawak and Sabah had intentions to withdraw from Malaysia. Dr Mahathir replied that both states only asked for more autonomy, not independence; and in the MA63, there was no provision that prevents Sarawak and Sabah from doing so.
“This is impacted by the S4S petition three years ago. In 2015, 300,000 petition signatures for the enact of a Referendum Ordinance were collected in Sarawak. The signature petition book was sent to the United Nations in 2016 as proof of the people’s wishes.
“An investigation was conducted to find out about Sarawak’s rights and how the sources, wealth and sovereignty were lost since the formation of Malaysia,” he claimed.
Nonetheless, Chin said S4S thanked Dr Mahathir for his honest response to such sensitive questions and for acknowledging that MA63 had no provision to prevent Sarawak and Sabah to secede from Malaysia.
The questions from the UN just confirmed that the discontented voices of Sarawak have been monitored on a global scale, he added.
“Tun Dr Mahathir, as the prime minister of Malaysia and the leader of a country, might not support the idea of Sarawak and Sabah seceding from Malaysia, but Malaysia is a democratic country; therefore, it is not his authority to decide on Sarawak and Sabah’s future.
“At the United Nations’ Conference, Tun Dr Mahathir gave a speech to all the countries’ delegates that the new Malaysia will move towards being free, democratic, equal and just. He also stated that he will abide and follow the human rights law of the world,” Chin noted.
He added that since Dr Mahathir intended to brand the Malaysia Baru as ‘democratic, equal, fair and just’, then the prime minister should support the people from both Sarawak and Sabah to determine their future.
“Whether they prefer Sarawak or Sabah to remain autonomous or independent from Malaysia, they should cast their vote via referendum,” reckoned Chin. — DayakDaily
