'POWER SHARING' IN BN ONLY AN UTOPIA?

By : DATUK TEO CHEE KANG

I APPEND excerpts of my speech as the Guest of Honour in LDP Api-Api and Luyang Divisions Joint AGM 2011 held at Venetian club, KK on 14 August 2011 for your attention please.

The political tsunami in 2008 and the recent Sarawak State Election is a clear indication of the voting trend of the urban voters. By and large, the urban dwellers are more well informed with higher level of political awareness.

They are relatively not so concerned with water, electricity and problems in relation to infrastructures, but more interested as to whether issues affecting the people and the nation are well handled? Whether decisions are made and actions are taken fairly and justly? Whether personal rights and liberties are infringed?

Therefore, in order to recapture the urban votes, the Barisan Nasional Government must exhibit greater sincerity and determination to manage and resolve issues.

Undeniably, the problem of religion and racial polarisation in the country has since aggravated. By allowing its columnist to promote the idea of' '1 Bumiputera' Utusan Malaysia had blatantly disregarded and contradicted the Prime Minister's '1 Malaysia' concept.

Recently, it blew up the unbelievable story of a blogger that 'Christian leaders conspired to turn Malaysia into a Christian state' in its front page, thereby fanning up racial hatred and distrust, adding tensions to the racial relation which was already placed on a tight rope, as if it would like to see mayhem in Malaysia.

However, for what it had done, it only received a warning letter from the Home Ministry. As Utusan Malaysia is controlled by UMNO, this would inevitably paint a wrong picture that the Government acquiesced such provocative act.

Merdeka Research Centre's latest report shows that there is a drop in Malaysians' confidence in race relations. In a study made in May this year, only 66% citizens ranked the nation's race relations at the 'good' level, a drop of 12% compared with 78% in February 2006.

In the aspect of racial integration, the study shows that on the question of the mutual trust among the different races, it has gone down to 35%, a drop of 19% compared with 54% in 2006.

Therefore, the authorities concerned must not fear to take corrective actions in order to deter further damage to our race relations, which is often sacrificed in furtherance of political agenda.

I wish to again congratulate our Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin for his appointment as Senator by the Yang diPertuan Agong on the support of President Datuk VK Liew and recommendation of the Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak. This shows that although we face the crisis of being marginalised in the State, the Barisan Nasional central leadership takes cognisance and is lending support to our struggle.

In Sabah, the notions of 'power sharing' and 'mutual respect' which has always been practised by Barisan Nasional only exist in name. Political appointments in the State administration, statutory bodies or Government linked companies are supposed to be guided by the concept of power sharing under the framework of Barisan Nasional, as opposed to arbitrarily placing individual factors as the paramount consideration.

Component Parties who fought hard and contributed seats to the victory of Barisan Nasional are not absorbed into the mainstream of the State administration, whereas a Party who has no more place to stand in West Malaysia and has never won any seat in Sabah, is given the prominence.

Such illogical act has disturbed the political equalibrium among the Component Parties in Sabah. Therefore, the State Barisan Nasional must make changes before the next General Election, return to the basics so that Barisan Nasional can truly emerge as a united front to face challenges in the coming General Election.

Although our voices may be repugnant to certain quarters, some may even deem us as the oppositions within BN, I would like to reiterate that we are not opposing BN. We believe that the BN family is big enough to have room for different voices.

- Sabahkini