Dr M draws flak over comment on Sabah, Sarawak
Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that Sabah and Sarawak are better off being part of Malaysia.
KOTA KINABALU: Several analysts have found fault with Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks about the achievements Sabah and Sarawak have made since the formation of Malaysia.
Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said he agreed that the two states were now better off, but he questioned the accuracy of the former prime minister’s remark about their being richer than states in the peninsula.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said income distribution in Sabah and Sarawak was uneven although they were indeed the richest states in exploitable natural resources.
Political economist Firdausi Suffian said people in the two states were generally poorer than their compatriots in Peninsular Malaysia.
Mahathir, in an interview with Great People Television on Facebook Live yesterday, said Sabah and Sarawak were better off being part of Malaysia.
He said both states were poor but became richer than the peninsular states after 1963, when Malaysia was formed.
But he voiced disappointment over the ideas of “Sarawak for Sarawakians” and “Sabah for Sabahans” and said citizens should think of themselves as Malaysian first.
His remarks did not go down well with many netizens, with one Edward Woo saying the federal government had taken a lot from both states and given crumbs in return.
Noel Sabaratnam said: “Rubbish. They have been milked dry by the politicians from both sides.”
Another netizen, Samuel Raj, said the two states would have excelled above the country itself if they had independently managed their natural resources.
Oh, who hails from Sabah, told FMT he was sure that Mahathir would not be losing any sleep over the brickbats.
KOTA KINABALU: Several analysts have found fault with Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks about the achievements Sabah and Sarawak have made since the formation of Malaysia.
Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said he agreed that the two states were now better off, but he questioned the accuracy of the former prime minister’s remark about their being richer than states in the peninsula.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said income distribution in Sabah and Sarawak was uneven although they were indeed the richest states in exploitable natural resources.
Political economist Firdausi Suffian said people in the two states were generally poorer than their compatriots in Peninsular Malaysia.
Mahathir, in an interview with Great People Television on Facebook Live yesterday, said Sabah and Sarawak were better off being part of Malaysia.
He said both states were poor but became richer than the peninsular states after 1963, when Malaysia was formed.
But he voiced disappointment over the ideas of “Sarawak for Sarawakians” and “Sabah for Sabahans” and said citizens should think of themselves as Malaysian first.
His remarks did not go down well with many netizens, with one Edward Woo saying the federal government had taken a lot from both states and given crumbs in return.
Noel Sabaratnam said: “Rubbish. They have been milked dry by the politicians from both sides.”
Another netizen, Samuel Raj, said the two states would have excelled above the country itself if they had independently managed their natural resources.
Oh, who hails from Sabah, told FMT he was sure that Mahathir would not be losing any sleep over the brickbats.
Oh Ei Sun.
“Mahathir won’t care about what any particular group or segment of voters thinks about him,” he said.
“Since his first term as prime minister, he has always spoken his mind. So I don’t think he really cares what Sabahans and Sarawakians think.”
Lee told FMT he believed Sabah and Sarawak would prosper if Putrajaya were fair to them in distributing the wealth reaped from their natural resources.
“The source of wealth comes from these states. They deserve a larger share,” he said.
“Mahathir won’t care about what any particular group or segment of voters thinks about him,” he said.
“Since his first term as prime minister, he has always spoken his mind. So I don’t think he really cares what Sabahans and Sarawakians think.”
Lee told FMT he believed Sabah and Sarawak would prosper if Putrajaya were fair to them in distributing the wealth reaped from their natural resources.
“The source of wealth comes from these states. They deserve a larger share,” he said.
Lee Kuok Tiung.
“Companies like Petronas should consider building their Twin Towers or the Pengerang Integrated Complex in Sabah or Sarawak. Oil palm conglomerates should consider putting their headquarters in Sabah and not in Selangor or anywhere else in the peninsula.”
Firdausi said he would acknowledge that both states had become more developed than they were in the mid-1960s.
“However, if you talk about being richer such as being developed in equal measure with other states, then it’s a no,” he said.
“We are rich with resources, but the people are still poorer in many respects than people in the peninsula.”
“Companies like Petronas should consider building their Twin Towers or the Pengerang Integrated Complex in Sabah or Sarawak. Oil palm conglomerates should consider putting their headquarters in Sabah and not in Selangor or anywhere else in the peninsula.”
Firdausi said he would acknowledge that both states had become more developed than they were in the mid-1960s.
“However, if you talk about being richer such as being developed in equal measure with other states, then it’s a no,” he said.
“We are rich with resources, but the people are still poorer in many respects than people in the peninsula.”
Firdausi Suffian.
He said infrastructural development was poor and he attributed this mainly to the centralisation of the federal administration.
He also said Sabah had the highest unemployment rate in the country, the most uneven income distribution and limited opportunities for expansion of trade due to infrastructure problems.
Hardcore poverty in Sabah had increased from 19.5% in 2019 to 25.3% in 2020, he added.
He said infrastructural development was poor and he attributed this mainly to the centralisation of the federal administration.
He also said Sabah had the highest unemployment rate in the country, the most uneven income distribution and limited opportunities for expansion of trade due to infrastructure problems.
Hardcore poverty in Sabah had increased from 19.5% in 2019 to 25.3% in 2020, he added.
Sarawak for Sarawakians” and “Sabah for Sabahans
ReplyDeleteYou have been rule by Sarawak and Sabah parties since 1963, with far more autonomy and authority than any Peninsular states.
Take a cold hard look at yourselves before asking to run your own affairs.
Sabahans and Sarawakians would have been better off if the two states had left the Federation together with Singapore in 1965. Under LKY and PAP, managing the natural resources in the two huge states, with near zero corruption.
ReplyDeleteBut of course the politicians and towkays in the two states will disagree, because how to rape, pillage and plunder?
S'pore had LaoLee.
DeleteSarawak had Stephen Kalong Ningkan.
Sabah had Muhammad Fuad Stephens.
Just examine the fates of these personnel one would ultimate understand the subsequent fortunes of these three states!
Out of the three ONLY LKY was keen to join force with Malaya to form the federation of Malaysia. Initially Ningkan & Find were very reluctant with Tunku's federation proposal.
LKY was very keen bcoz he knew deep in his heart that Tunku was no his match politically. Yet how wrong he was that besides Tunku there were banana-ised Chinese mfers like Mohammed Tahir Tan Tong Hye (T H Tan /陈东海) & Leong Yew Koh (梁宇皋) in helping Tunku to plot his ambition for Malaysia!
Stephen Kalong Ningkan was outplayed by Tunku. On 16 June 1966, Ningkan was ousted when the state Governor showed him a letter of no confidence issued by 21 out of 42 legislators and asked Ningkan to resign as Chief Minister. Ningkan refused.
Ningkan tried to initiate a dissolution of Council Negri upon his reinstatement of chief minister to seek a fresh mandate from the voters; but the Malaysian government decided to impose a state of emergency in Sarawak, citing chaos in the state. The Malaysian government also amended the Sarawak Constitution to give the power to the Sarawak governor to commence the Council Negri meeting. A vote of non-confidence was passed on 23 September 1966, and this has resulted in the removal of Ningkan from the chief minister office for the second time.
Similarly, while Fuad was initially against the idea of Sabah joining in the Federation, he was gradually convinced to work towards it. He held the chief minister's post from 16 September 1963 until 31 December 1964 when he was forced to resign; and again in 1976 for 54 days from 15 April. During his second term as Chief Minister (which began on 15 April 1976) he died in a controversial accident on 6 June 1976 dubbed Double Six Crash, in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah.
All these 'incidents', manifestations of Tunku's early ketuanan move sealed the fate of Expire, Sarawak & Sabah since!
The old fool really does not know how to feel shame.
ReplyDeleteThe politicians in Sabah and Sarawak should also take a big share of the blame for allowing their states to be raped repeatedly. Of course none of them was a Lee Kuan Yew but they could still have done better for their states.
A riposte to the old idiot is Singapore..how it prospered outside Malaysia and with no resources except its people.
Anyway, it will always rankle the old buffoon when we make comparison between Singapore and Malaysia. We had all the ingredients to be a really rich country but for idiots like this old racist fool.
Plenty of the politicians in Sabah and Sarawak were doing the raping of their state.
Delete