by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 2: Sarawak has the right to choose a better path, to continue to stand strong and decide its own future, in the spirit and principle of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), activist Peter John Jaban said.
In a statement today, Peter John highlighted that Sarawak has “reached its adulthood” politically and socially, meaning it now possesses the maturity, responsibility, and capability to make decisions about its own future.
“Under MA63, Sarawak joined the Federation as an equal partner, not as a subordinate state or colony. Safeguards were promised to protect Sarawak’s autonomy, rights, resources, and identity.
“Over the decades, many of these MA63 safeguards were eroded, diluted, or ignored through centralisation of power. Decisions about Sarawak’s land, oil, gas, forests, and future have often been made without the free, informed, and meaningful consent of the Sarawakian people.
“Yet Sarawak continues to stand strong,” he said.
And while politicians in Peninsular Malaysia continue argue about identity and power, with race and religion being used to scare people, he stressed that the rakyat are dealing with rising prices, low wages, and uncertainty about the future.
“This kind of politics tears society apart. Sarawakians do not want this path. We value coexistence, mutual respect, and harmony among different races and religions. Our way of life is different, and we want to protect it,” he said.
“This is why many Sarawakians speak about autonomy and independence not out of hatred, but out of self-preservation. We want decisions about Sarawak to be made by Sarawakians, based on our values, our realities, and our future.
“We have grown up. And we have the right to choose a better path,” he asserted.
Peter John clarified that calls for greater autonomy or independence are not about rejecting cooperation.
“It is about standing on our own feet as an adult society. An independent Sarawak can continue to trade, cooperate, and live peacefully with others while ensuring that decisions about Sarawak are made by Sarawakians, in the spirit and principle of MA63,” he said.
“This is not about politics. This is about dignity. This is about fairness. This is about our children’s future.” – DayakDaily
