Ex-foreign minister Anifah Aman took the opportunity in his Malaysia Day message to fire shots at the outgoing Parti Warisan Sabah administration and long-time rulers BN, for still answering to masters from the peninsula, he said.
"This is supposed to be a day of celebration for us. Just imagine, Malaysia would not have come to being without us Sabahans as well as our East Malaysian neighbours, the Sarawakians.
"Nevertheless, Sabah is always known as one of the poorest, if not the poorest, states in this country that we helped shape and form.
"Yet, we look around us and tell ourselves that our Sabah is rich with resources. So, how could we be poor?" asked Anifah (above), whose half-brother Musa Aman was Sabah's longest-serving chief minister.
He brought up how outstanding issues remain unresolved, including oil royalties, oil fields, the Territorial Sea Act 2012, and the states’ rights over the continental shelf.
"Yet these (issues) are so close to our hearts – and to our livelihood – because they would bring in revenue to Sabah," he said.
Anifah added that he left Umno because he wanted the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 (MA63) to be respected. He wanted it to be the basis of the Federation of Malaysia, one that is united and progressive as envisaged by the founders of the country in 1963.
"We keep hearing how political leaders from both the government and the opposition constantly criticising one another for failing to implement the MA63.
"Instead of moving forward, this only results in confusing the rakyat, giving them false hopes, and even dividing them politically," said the former Kimanis MP, whose new vehicle, Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS), is contesting all 73 seats in the ongoing Sabah election.
"I can hear Sabahans crying out ‘enough is enough'. Enough with promises to implement it. We want to form the next state government that is fully led by a Sabahan political party that has no link whatsoever with any Malaya-based party."
He blasted Warisan, implying that incumbent chief minister Shafie Apdal was a tool of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"Warisan claims to be a local party. They are definitely not, as they are together with DAP, PKR, and Amanah from Malaya. And everyone knows for a fact their master is Tun Mahathir Mohamad, who has garnered himself a less than favourable reputation among Sabahans," he said.
Anifah then trained his guns on Umno and other parties from Perikatan Nasional and BN.
"They cannot claim that they are purely local Sabahan who fight for the state and its people. They have their own Malaya masters to answer to," he said.
"PCS has no Malayan masters but Sabahans themselves, thus we will be in the most powerful position to secure our rights and determine our future. No Malaya master can tell us what to say or what to do, even what to think.
"We are at the crossroads now in this state election. We are on the verge of making history. Let us make it happen. Let us do this for our future generation of Sabahans because we are only borrowing our state from them," said Anifah. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.