Stop toadying to peninsular BN leaders

Sabah BN leaders must 'start speaking independently' on issues concerning the people if they are to be taken seriously

KOTA KINABALU: The party of former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee has ridiculed local Barisan Nasional leaders for lacking ideas of their own and merely mouthing what their leaders in Peninsular were saying.

A senior leader of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) said state BN leaders appeared to be so totally under the control of federal leaders that they were even willing to repeat obvious falsehoods such as the the birthdate of the nation.

Chong Pit Fah, the SAPP information chief, said that by going to the extent of ‘parroting’ the federal leaders even when it meant changing the state’s history especially in terms of Sabah’s independence, they were betraying the state and its people.

“Sabah gained its independence in 1963, not 1957,” he said adding that the people in the state would be celebrating 49 years of Malaysia this year, not 55 years and it was the peninsular that was celebrating its independence day.

“As Sabahan leaders, don’t simply twist the fact because 49 is 49, not 55 just because the federal leaders say so,” said Chong.

He urged Sabah BN leaders to set an example and “show the people that they are concerned about the state’s history” and not just repeat without thinking what their leaders in the peninsular are saying as though they had no opinions themselves.

“Historical facts must be set straight so as not to confuse the younger generation who are now being misled by erratic National Day publicity which has it that Malaysia is celebrating 55 years of independence.”

He said the “parroting culture” of Sabah leaders was becoming laughable and they should start speaking independently on issues affecting the state and its people.

“They are just like parrots… for instance the coal-fired plant issue in the past, it was strongly objected by many quarters and yet the leaders here say it must go on just because the Prime Minister (Najib Tun Razak) said so.

“Then when the Prime Minister said the proposal was scrapped, the leaders here changed their tune and said that it was a good decision by the Prime Minister,” he said.

Another example, he said, was the 1Malaysia concept introduced by Najib.

“Just because Najib said it was a good concept everyone is repeating it. When the federal leaders come to Sabah and shout 1Malaysia, everyone here follows…just like a parrot,” he said.

Sabah together with Sarawak and Malaya formed Malaysia as equal partners on Sept 16, 1963 and Sabahans are especially annoyed by that lack of recognition for their sacrifice and role in the formation of a nation.