Charge with treason those who changed Sabah’s oath stone, says Bumburing

Sarawak’s former deputy chief minister Datuk Wilfred Bumburing said that the Batu Sumpah, or oath stone, was the only constitutionally accepted form of documentation pertaining to the formation of Malaysia aside from the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and all other documents annexed to this agreement. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 23, 2014.

Putrajaya should bring to court and charge with treason those behind the changing of key words on Sabah's oath stone that marked the forming of Malaysia, a former deputy chief minister said.

Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, now leader of the opposition Angkatan Perubahan Sabah or Sabah Movement for Change, directed his party's liaison office in Keningau to lodge a police report yesterday on the removal of words on the stone, or Batu Sumpah, that are part of the original Malaysia agreement.

“We want to know who removed it (the monument) from its original location and why those particular wordings were removed or erased,” he said in a statement.

The missing words are "Kerajaan Malaysia jamin" (the Malaysian government promises) which are followed by the terms that Sabah and the federation of Malaysia agreed to when the country was formed in 1963.

"The Batu Sumpah and its inscription is the only constitutionally accepted form of documentation pertaining to the formation of Malaysia aside from the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and all the other documents that are annexed to this agreement.

"Removal of the words is tantamount to an act of treason," he said, adding that those responsible should be brought to court.

The Tamparuli assemblyman said it was these kinds of actions “that caused Sabahans to think differently about their position in Malaysia and thus adds up to the secession sentiments”.

Putrajaya should not be surprised at talk of seccession among Sabahans given this blatant act of changing history, he added.

Last week, Sarawak cabinet minister and Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Tan Sri Dr James Masing said Putrajaya should use the Sedition Act against those who distorted the history of Sabah and Sarawak.

Bumburing said he agreed with Masing's caution to Putrajaya to listen first to the grouses expressed by Sabahans and Sarawakians who talked of secession, instead of threatening them with jail.

“The federal government should look deeper into why such sentiments have emerged in the first place,” Bumburing said.

The Batu Sumpah should be relocated from the Keningau District Office where it is erected and returned to its "original location" in the interior.

Bumburing said it belonged to the people in the interior and to all Malaysians as well, who should be given the right to visit it at any time.

“It does not belong to the government and therefore they have no right to bar anyone from visiting it,” he said.

On September 15, another Sabah opposition politician, Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, was prevented by the authorities from commemorating Malaysia Day at the oath stone at the district office.

Sabahans were also unhappy with Putrajaya over illegal immigration in the state and the high number of foreigners holding Malaysian identity cards there, Bumburing added.

The roots of secession sentiments might be found in the report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigration in the state and the "Project IC", he said, and urged the government to make the RCI report public.

The commission submitted its report to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in May this year. The report is still kept under wraps by the government.

The commission began hearings in January 2013 to, among other terms, investigate the number of foreigners in Sabah holding blue Malaysian identity cards or citizenship documents, and to probe into whether the issuance of these documents was legal.

“Sabahans as a whole are dying to know what those findings are, notwithstanding what they have already heard during the hearings," Bumburing said.

He suggested that Sabah be given the chance to hold a referendum, such as Scotland did recently, as it was the only legal and viable avenue for the matter to be decided.

A referendum, however, “would be very dangerous for Sabah and Malaysia” considering the huge number of foreigners who hold Malaysian identity cards.

“As I have said before and I strongly state it here again, the loyalty of these foreigners holding Malaysian ICs are highly questionable and they may outnumber bonafide and loyal Malaysian in Sabah," he said.

- TMI