Sabah, 50 years of uncertainty and waiting

Countless political manipulations, betrayals and cover-ups have pock-marked Sabah's history and continue to so even today.

COMMENT

KOTA KINABALU: Today marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia. Events are planned to commemorate the event but there has been surprisingly little fanfare over the past year to herald the occasion.

The memories are bitter-sweet. For those who remember ‘pre-Malaysia’, the feelings now are a mixture of let’s-just-get-on-with-it and a no-use-crying-over-spilt-milk.

But there is also a poignancy about an innocence lost and what Sabah and Malaysia could have been as we reach the milestone.

Sabahans have had a rough time settling in no doubt. Countless political manipulations, betrayals and cover-ups have pockmarked it history and continue even as you read this, destroying a glorious dream.

So, what was the dream of Malaysia’s founding fathers’ on this side of the South China Sea when they agreed to join in the formation of Malaysia?

A glance back over the last 50 years shows ugliness and anger and greed and Sabahans feel let down.

Their state is now grappling with an overwhelming presence of immigrants who they believe were deliberately allowed in to change the racial and religious composition of the territory forever.

But then, the Malayanisation of Sabah was always looked at with suspicion even when discussions were on-going between the British, Malayan leaders and the by-and-large naive Sabah leaders.

Fuad Stephens or as he was known then, Donald Stephens, was initially rather apprehensive about the whole idea.

Straddled between threats

What little confidence he had about the the plan came via the fact that Lee Kuan Yew, the leader of Singapore, was there as a “safety net” against the possibility of being played out by Kuala Lumpur.

To quote Stephens: “…to join Malaya, while we are still colonies, only means we cease to be British colonies and become Malayan colonies … the implication is to hand over your control.”

Most went along with the idea of federating Malaya with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore as “necessary and inevitable”.

As far as Sabah was concerned, the threat of takeover by the Philippines and Indonesia was over-riding.

In 1963, former Philippines president Diosdado Macapagal filed a claim in the United Nations for the territory of North Borneo and the following year, in November 1964,  Sukarno started his confrontation with Malaya.

There were also efforts among the Borneo territories since November 1962, towards forming a separate politically independent entity involving unification of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei, all north of Kalimantan state.

People in the hinterlands were generally poor then but so are many of them now, 50 years on.

Whenever Sabahan get a glimpse of the higher living standards in Singapore and Brunei today they reflect what might have been.

How could it be like this 50 years on, they wonder especially when they have so much more natural resources.

Talking to many who were young adults at the time of the formation of the new nation, there was a mixture of excitement as well as indifference.

Sabah, poorly governed

Leaders like Stephens and Peter Mojuntin and to some extent chief minister Tun Mustapha Harun nursed dreams of a united and prosperous Sabah in Malaysia.

Sadly, few believe that now. Even the belief that they could determine their own destiny has evaporated.

An extraordinary invasion by a large group of armed Filipinos and the initial bumbling efforts to deal with the crisis cemented this view among Sabahans that their leaders were shallow and lacked common sense.

If a comic strip were made to reflect the history of the state, it would show a place so poorly governed that its leaders believed it could not function or have a future unless it was invaded by immigrants – armed or otherwise.

Adding to the pain, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister during much of the time when Sabah was neglected, continues to deny responsibility for policies that have caused divisiveness rather than unity.

Racial and religious superiority, two odious concepts that never had much traction in Sabah, have gradually invaded all facets of life in the former British colony.

Rubbing salt in the wound is the increasing marginalization of smaller communities.

Accountability is disregarded along with the lack of good governance. And that is a troubling sign for Malaysians in Sabah where history is waiting to be repeated.

The fact that it took the federal government in Kuala Lumpur almost 50 years to acknowledge Sept 16 as a historic day and declare it a national holiday continues to rankle.

A few days ago, Harris Salleh, a man both despised and admired by Sabahans in equal measure and who is often looked upon as a seer and a prophet by the media, opined that Sabahans were themselves to be blamed for the situation that they are in.

The former chief minister who was unceremoniously booted out of his post in the 1985, said that since the nation’s parliament is supreme and could amend all laws it was up to the people to force their enfeebled leaders to do their bidding.

50 years of uncertainty and waiting

Fifty years ago  Martin Luther King made his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. It shook his nation and moved the world.

It was made just a couple of weeks before Malaysia was formed and the golden jubilee of his speech was commemorated around the world just a couple of weeks ago.

There is a lesson to be learned here, Sabahans and fellow citizens. if you think the last 50 years is good enough then so be it.

We’ll muddle along and gratefully accept all handouts even without wrapping paper.  If not, take a deep breathe and expose it for what it is – 50 years of uncertainty and waiting.

But there’s also a danger in not paying attention to the hazards in front of your eyes when aiming for the green.

I don’t play the game but I suspect when looking across from either side of the South China Sea and lining up a shot at the future, it would be vital to have a good swing.

As we learned back then in the early ’60s, lack of foresight and ignorance landed us in the deep water we are in now.

In the meantime, thank you, Malaysia. Thank you.