Sarawakians are not 'bodoh', but…

YOURSAY | ‘There does not seem to be any hope for the non-Muslim majority in Sarawak.’

I am a Sarawakian and I am 'bodoh'

Prudent: This is the first time I come across a Sarawakian who has frankly admitted to being ‘bodoh’ (stupid). It is a welcome change.

I have lived and worked with Sarawakians in the past. In those days, I learnt not to reason with them too much because they will feel offended that I was treating them as ‘bodoh’. Being in a senior position, I would just tell them what to do.

But "bodoh" or not, all of them are dignified and radiate confidence in themselves. I see the same – that is, confidence – in Iban children during my recent trip to Sarawak. One of them, a girl of about five years old, played the drums like a professional during the Christian worship service.

So, I have great confidence that the Iban will pull through and help take Sarawak forward with them.

And Malaysiakini columnist Francis Siah's last point is a cracker. Yes, why should Sarawak still ask (read "beg") and negotiate (read also as "beg") for what is her constitutional right? Just demand and take what belongs to her.

If Sarawak is forced to go to court over taking back her rights, just throw out the Umno-BN regime in the coming session of Parliament.

Anonymous 2436471476414726: Very well said, Siah. Yes, of course, Sarawakians are no fools.

Because they are not ‘paloi’, the Sarawak government had decided to repair over 1,000 dilapidated schools using their own funds, even though this is the responsibility of Putrajaya. Or is this just an excuse to set up the state-owned bank?

Sarawak ministers praised PM Najib Razak to high heaven for allocating funds for the Pan-Borneo Highway but forget that he had failed to provide funds for the repair of schools and construction of hospitals.

Because Sarawakians are not ‘paloi’, while they are complaining about Petronas not consulting with the state government, the national oil company quietly divested its equity in blocks of Sarawak waters to some foreign-owned oil companies.

When Sarawak protested about the lack of local-born teachers teaching in Sarawak schools vis-a-vis those from Semenanjung, Putrajaya instead closed down teachers’ colleges in Sarawak. So who is ‘paloi’?

Odin Tajué: There does not seem to be any hope for the non-Muslim majority in Sarawak. And no thanks to the Dayak politicians, past and present, in the state government. They have all been ‘paloi’.

Based on what I read when I researched the infamous Confrontation 14 years ago, the first chief minister, Stephen Kalong Ningkan, was ousted by Kuala Lumpur just two years after he occupied the seat.

KL did that with the connivance of Ningkan’s fellow Dayak minister, who was then based in KL, and aided by this chief minister’s father, who was then the governor.

According to a piece written by a senior lawyer in Sabah, KL did not like Ningkan because he saw attempts made to dishonour certain points in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and refused to play ball.

This tells us that KL never intended to honour the MA63. They signed it merely to hoodwink and entice Sabah and Sarawak into coming together with Malaya and Singapore to form Malaysia. KL’s scant respect for the two states was illustrated when they kicked out Singapore without first consulting them.

Ningkan was ordered to vacate his seat because - now you read this carefully - the majority of the Council Negri (now called the Dewan Undangan Negeri) members had voted no confidence in him. The number of the members concerned was 21. The total number of the members of the DUN was 42.

Based on the arithmetic that I know, 21 out of 42 is 50 percent and, therefore, not the majority. A crisis ensued in Kuching. Ningkan fought strenuously in court to regain his seat, but finally lost.

During the crisis, KL had conveniently declared a state of emergency in Sarawak, and installed Tawi Sli, another Iban, as CM. Sli lasted only one term. The uncle of White Hair (Abdul Taib Mahmud) took over, and the rape of Sarawak began.

Also, based on what I have read, there was no love lost between the Ibans of the Second Division (whatever it is called now) and those of the Third Division (whatever it is called now). Ningkan was from the former, and the one who worked with KL to oust him was from the latter.

Sarawak will not likely ever secede from Malaysia. That, I think, is the reality. The Muslims, who are in the minority, have been enjoying all sorts of advantages, as they hold the power in their hands.

Surely they fear that if Sarawak secedes, the ‘palois’ may finally see the light, get their act together, and bring their numbers to bear. Therefore, they will play along with KL. They have nothing to lose, only a great deal to gain.

But if you asked me, I do not think that the Dayak will ever see the light.

Redesignate CM’s post in Sabah, S’wak as prime minister

Anonymous 243647147641472619: Indeed, this is the way to go. The Sarawak chief minister should be redesignated as prime minister and be on equal footing with Putrajaya's PM. However, this is a mere dream, unless Sarawak has the leaders who are more assertive and forceful.

The current crop of leaders is too subservient to Putrajaya. For instance, just because PM Najib Razak approved the Pan-Borneo Highway, they sing praises of him endlessly, while ignoring the fact that funds are not made available, even for the repairs of many dilapidated schools.

Another leader even thinks it fit to fly to Putrajaya 180 longhouse chiefs in a military aircraft just to thank Najib (and have lunch with him) for the many infrastructure projects he had supposedly greenlighted.

Najib needs Sarawak more than Sarawak needs him. Only the ‘paloi’ do not see this and use it to extract more development projects for Sarawak. But then again, we have leaders who think more of their own positions and hence will not rock the boat.

VP Biden: An electoral pact between Pakatan Harapan and PBB in Sarawak and PBS in Sabah is more reasonable to ensure rights of the Borneo states. How it can materialise beats me, but with the right strategy it can happen.

The focus of Harapan has to shift to Borneo; it is there for the taking. Can they allow the Borneo parties run for state elections and negotiate a pact at the parliamentary level?

Just A Malaysian: This will come as a dose of reality for Perkasa and other right-wing groups - that Malaysia is a land for all Malaysians who live and love this country, and it is not about the supremacy of one tribe or religion over all others.- Mkini