Sabah, Sarawak last line of defence against ‘green tsunami’

 

From Clement Stanley

I have no other way of saying this and it comes straight from the heart. It is designed to hit Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government right between their eyes.

And like it or not, Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, Warisan and others who are part of the unity government had better wake up to reality.

The “green tsunami” at the moment is unstoppable. Just look at PAS’ victories in the general election and its resounding win in Padang Serai on Wednesday.

If anyone can stop the “green tsunami” from taking over Putrajaya, it is Sabah and Sarawak. PAS has never been able to make inroads in the Borneo states and perhaps never will.

Every time it places candidates in an election in Sabah or Sarawak, they are soundly defeated and most times end up losing their deposits.

The people of Sabah and Sarawak are not made up of just Malays, Chinese and Indians but of well over 30 ethnic groups, each with their own cultures, beliefs and ways of life.

In Sabah and Sarawak, people actually live as one big family.

Forget the image of unity portrayed in television commercials and billboards during festivities, where Malays, Chinese and Indians can be seen hanging out together.

In East Malaysia, unity is living together and respecting each other. It does not matter if you live in a longhouse in Sarawak or a city in Sabah, or if you have a different ethnicity or religion.

All we know is that we must not impose our views on each other or shove our values down someone else’s throat.

Every religion preaches compassion, respect, kindness and love for your neighbour. To us, this is what Malaysia should be, the way it was imagined in 1963.

Give Sarawak and Sabah more parliamentary seats. Increase it from the 56 seats that cover a land mass bigger than West Malaysia.

Do this and support from the Borneo bloc becomes a must to form the federal government, regardless of whether it is a green, blue or red tsunami.

Yesterday, Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Mohd Nor boasted that Perikatan Nasional would have captured all 36 seats if the state election was held on Nov 19.

He can talk all he wants but when it comes to national politics, he cannot do more than pray that Sabah and Sarawak will be willing to back the “green tsunami” after the next election.

The reality of it is that both states will never allow a culture built on divisive, extremist and racist politics to ruin the unity we have known our whole lives.

So, if Anwar’s unity government is to last and keep the “green tsunami” at bay, the prime minister must do what needs to be done.

Give Sabah and Sarawak more seats in Parliament and you can be sure the green wave will go no further than the coastlines of Peninsular Malaysia. - FMT

Clement Stanley is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.