Ominous ‘silence’ in Sabah on Nurul-Jacel pix

Sabahans are more concerned on Putrajaya making good the return of Full Autonomy raised by Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem and 20 per oil royalty and resolving the illegals issue.

COMMENT

There’s a misconception in the peninsula that if certain people there are “upset” no end on the alleged meeting in Manila recently between Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Jacel Kiram purportedly of the defunct Sulu sultanate, Sabahans should have even more reasons to be upset.

Nothing of the sort has happened.

There has been ominous silence in Sabah on the melodrama going on in the peninsula since a picture of Nurul and Jacel surfaced on the latter’s Facebook page. Even Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak couldn’t resist jumping on the anti-Nurul bandwagon in the peninsula and hinting at “treason” on the part of the PKR Vice-President, daughter of jailed de facto Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The Sabah Assembly, dominated by the local chapter of Umno, did pass a resolution that both Nurul and Batu MP Tian Chua, another PKR Vice- President who was in Manila, be banned from Sabah.

It’s not enough to pass a resolution. The Chief Minister or State Secretary must write officially to the Director of Immigration to blacklist the duo and such a directive must list the reason or reasons. Appearing in a picture on Facebook would not be an acceptable reason. In Tian Chua’s case, there would be no reason.

Lawmakers cannot be banned from Sabah or Sarawak for no rhyme or reason.

Sabahans know better that the picture on Jacel Kiram’s Facebook Page means nothing and does not affect their dignity in any way. The Suluk lady turned up at an event in Manila, arranged by government officials, where Nurul had been invited. If someone took a picture of Jacel standing next to Nurul with a placard reading “Free Anwar”, it’s really over-stretching the imagination to link it with the Tanduo intrusion in Lahad Datu not so long ago and disingenuously the so-called Sabah claim.

Jacel’s family is evidently not among the nine heirs of the defunct Sulu sultanate recognized by the High Court of Borneo in Sandakan, in 1939, as being entitled to a share of the RM5,000 annual pension given to the Sulu Sultan for giving up in perpetuity the right to collect toll along certain waterways along the eastern seaboard of Sabah, now covered by the eastern Sabah Security Zone (EssZone) over which the Eastern Sabah Security Command (EssCom) exercises oversight.

Sabahans are more concerned about the uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants into their state and Putrajaya being in non-compliance on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the various constitutional documents on the 1963 arrangements whereby Sabah and Sarawak came together with the peninsula in Federation.

They are more concerned on Putrajaya making good the return of Full Autonomy raised by Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem and 20 per oil royalty. Patently, Najib has conceded it cannot be business as usual for Malaysia in Borneo after over half a century and that Sabah and Sarawak should have more powers. Therein the matter lies with no further sound from Putrajaya on the matter.