Follow Kitingan’s example to defend state rights, says Tuliang

STAR vice-president criticises other Sabah leaders for being muted now though they were previously 'gung-ho'.

Veteran Sabah leader Jeffrey Kitingan made his speech in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah politicians were urged today to emulate veteran Sabah leader Jeffrey Kitingan for speaking boldly to uphold Sabah’s rights in his speech in the Dewan Rakyat this week.

Kitingan had called for the return of oil and gas rights as well as other matters long sought by Sabahans, and had reminded the Federal Government that Malaysia “might have gone bankrupt” without revenue from Sabah and Sarawak.

His speech was held up as an example to other Sabah politicians by his party comrade, STAR vice president Feddrin Tuliang, who said other Sabah and Sarawak leaders had been muted in defending the rights of the two states despite being equal partners to Malaya.

Speaking to FMT, Tuliang said: “What Jeffrey said in Parliament on Wednesday, we in Sabah have heard him say many times. He has always been consistent in his struggle, always single-minded in his ideas to force the federal government to return Sabah’s rights.”

Other leaders seemed to be “scared to say anything sensible” about oil and gas revenue. “Only after Jeffrey said something, that people like (Tuaran MP and Sabah deputy chief minister Wilfred Madius) Tangau dared to say it is unacceptable if the royalty is calculated based on profit,” Tuliang said.

He urged all Sabahan leaders to support Kitingan for standing up for Sabah, and criticised those on the government side who could barely be heard now, although previously gung-ho about Sabah’s rights when they were in opposition.

Kitingan calls for ‘1 Federation 2 Systems’ policy in administration

Kitingan, who is STAR president, was making his speech in the Dewan Rakyat as MP for Keningau.

He called for oil and gas rights to be returned to Sabah and Sarawak, or alternatively, that Petronas be jointly-owned by all petroleum-producing states.

He reminded the Federal Government that Sabah was entitled to 40% net revenue derived from Sabah; 10% of import duties on petroleum products and 10% export duties on oil and gas in lieu of royalties.

“If the Federal Government does not reinstate such monetary rights, then we have violated our pledge (to uphold the constitution) and violated the Federal Constitution,” he said.

He said Sabah should be allowed to exercise its full autonomy as an equal partner in Malaysia, suggesting a “1 Federation 2 Systems” policy on administration. He also called for action to carry out a royal commission’s recommendations on illegal immigrants, and to allow Sabah identity cards to be issued by the state government for genuine Sabahans.

Kitingan pointed out the unequal state of development of Sabah and Sarawak compared to Peninsular Malaysia.

“The size of my area, Keningau (3,533 sq km), is greater than Melaka, Penang and Perlis,” he said. “But over 70% of the area has no water supply, more than 80% of village roads are gravel roads.” In contrast, billions were spent on mass transit in the Klang Valley.

Although Sarawak and Sabah are the 3rd and 5th largest contributors to Malaysia’s economy, they have been marginalised. “Without oil and gas revenue from Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia may have gone bankrupt,” he said. -FMT