Sabah politician Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan says Malaysia is submerged in a 'sea of messes'. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 30, 2014.
Malaysia is submerged in a "sea of messes", charged Sabah veteran politician Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, which he said would steer the nation towards becoming a Taliban or Islamic State if nothing is done to resolve its problems.
The Sabah State Reform Party (Star) president said these "messes" were political, economic, socio-cultural, constitutional and administrative. They also involved security, corruption and problems related to the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak.
“In the current technologically advanced social media, what is happening in Malaysia, the whole world would know at a click and the federal government cannot hide the Malaysian mess from the world,” said the chairman of civil rights movement United Borneo Front (UBF) at its fourth anniversary celebrations in Keningau, Sabah.
He claimed there was selective prosecution of political opponents, while no action was taken against those with links to ruling Malay party, Umno, and this had contributed to lawlessness and rising anarchy.
Kitingan also slammed Umno ministers and leaders for "condoning and sponsoring religious and racial extremism", which he feared would tear the country apart.
"Worse still, the religious and racial extremists are steering Malaysia towards a Taliban/Islamic state in the making," he said.
On the economy, Kitingan said Malaysia is a "disaster" with its bloated and under-performing civil service that has drained the nation's finances.
He noted that the national operating expenditure constituted up to 80% of the national budget, leaving only 20% for development, which he warned would stifle economic growth.
He also said economic mismanagement, corruption and excesses in spending have raised the national debt from about RM94 billion in 2000 to about RM700 billion currently.
He warned that the current plunge in crude oil prices would have an impact on the country's revenues. The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April and escalating cost of living will also burden the people.
Kitingan said Putrajaya was "digging its own grave" by refusing to acknowledge the two Borneo states as equal partners and failing to addres the grievances of its people.
He urged the people of Sabah and Sarawak to "reclaim" the two states' rights and untangle themselves from the ongoing "Malaysian mess".
The Barisan Nasional-led federal government had frowned on talk suggesting that Sabah and Sarawak leave Malaysia, and announced plans to amend the Sedition Act to criminalise calls for secession.
Kitingan said threats of sedition would not quell dissatisfaction over general sentiments that the two states had been treated unfairly and marginalised. There was also continuing unhappiness over the high number of foreign immigrants in Sabah with MyKad, he added.
The findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report into illegal immigrants in Sabah, which was released early this month after a six-month delay found that syndicates and those with help from corrupt officials set up "Project IC" in the state for a political agenda and money.
“The federal minister and the Attorney-General may downplay the numbers and impact of these illegals, both IC holders and voters, but all right-thinking Sabahans know how bad the situation is," he said.
Besides that, he said crippling cabotage policy, the banning of non-Muslims using the word "Allah" and creeping Islamisation as well as marginalisation of Sabah natives will only further anger the people from Sabah and Sarawak.
He added UBF will step up its efforts to educate and empower Sabah people to fight for their rights and extract them from the "Malaysian mess".
- TMI
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