Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 17.11.2013.
Sarawak Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing has accused young Umno leaders of causing friction between Putrajaya and the Sarawak state government, by adopting the attitude that UMNO are the masters and leaders from Sarawak and Sabah should be subservient to them. This surprising attack against UMNO leaders show that the people of Sabah and Sarawak has begun to realise that they are not being accorded full respect but instead are exploited.
James is wrong in blaming UMNO young leaders for their lack of understanding of the Malaysia Agreement and how the federation was formed, and suggested that UMNO relearn the history of Malaysia and the special autonomy enjoyed by Sabah and Sarawak. Instead, it is UMNO’s racist ideology and extremist policies that entitles UMNO being masters whilst others must be subservient that has caused friction not just between Putrajaya and Sabah/Sarawak but also between ordinary Malaysians especially non-Malays and non-Muslims.
What is interesting is to see James’ frustration at the patronising behaviour of UMNO leaders with his remarks “When they(UMNO) talk to us, they make themselves feel as if they are superior while we in Sarawak, are their coolies. Personally, I get irritated with those leaders who do not treat us from Sarawak as equal partners in the administration of this federation. We in Sarawak and Sabah seemed to be like an appendix to West Malaysia.”
However James is correct to call UMNO arrogant, saying that issues straining state-federal ties include the Home Ministry’s decision to ban the use of the word “Allah” in Christian publications. This had fanned the anger of the 1.6 million Christians in East Malaysia against Putrajaya as it was seen by people in the two states as breaching the very first point of the terms Sabah and Sarawak drew up when Malaysia was formed.
However even though James need a time span of nearly 30 years of his political life before realising the arrogance of UMNO and the master-servant attitude UMNO adopts towards Sabah, Sarawak and Malaysians in general, it is still better late than never. DAP offers to fully co-operate with Sabah and Sarawak state government leaders to check the arrogance of UMNO by ensuring that Sabah and Sarawak’s status as equal partners in the Malaysian Federation is not reduced to a master-servant relationship like the British colonial masters.
DAP is willing to work together with Sabah and Sarawak state governments to demand an increase in the share of oil and gas royalties from the present 5% to 20% as well as end of the cabotage policy. The time has come to return back natural wealth as well as ensure the immediate and full implementation of the “1Malaysia,1 Price” policy that would give a fair deal to all so that Sabahans and Sarawakians are no longer discriminated by having to pay higher prices than those in Peninsular Malaysia.
Lim Guan Eng
—–Mandarin Version —
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2013年11月17日在吉隆坡发表声明：
巫统的种族主义理念及极端政策让巫统成为“主人”而其他人就是“附庸”，不只造成让布城与沙巴、砂拉越产生冲突，布城也与普通马来西亚人特别是非马来人与非穆斯林起摩擦。
砂拉越土地发展部长丹斯里占姆斯马兴指责年轻巫统领袖态度狂妄，一副“巫统为主人，沙砂领袖为附庸”的态度，导致布城与砂拉越政府产生冲突。他如此攻击巫统领袖令人意外，也显示沙砂两地的人民已经开始醒觉，知道他们并没有被完全尊重，反而是被剥削。
占姆斯指责年轻巫统领袖不了解马来西亚协议以及联邦政府是如何形成的，他建议巫统重新学习马来西亚的历史以及沙砂两州所享受的特别自治权，这是错的。反之，是巫统的种族主义理念及极端政策让巫统成为“主人”而其他人就是“附庸”，不只造成让布城与沙巴、砂拉越产生冲突，布城也与普通马来西亚人特别是非马来人与非穆斯林起摩擦。
最有趣的是，占姆斯在发牢骚指责巫统领袖的大家长态度时说“当他们（巫统）跟我们说话，他们表现到好像他们比较优越，而我们砂拉越人民是他们的苦力(coolies)。我个人对这些领袖感到生气，他们无视砂拉越为联邦政府的平等伙伴。沙巴与砂拉越看起来很像西马的附属物。”
但是，占姆斯指巫统狂妄是真的，他指出许多导致联邦与州属关系僵持的课题，包括内政部长决定禁止基督教刊物使用“Allah” 一词。这令东马的160万基督徒感到愤怒，进而反对布城。因为这两州的人民视这个禁令已经违背了沙巴、砂拉越加入联邦，成立马来西亚时最初的条件。
虽然占姆斯需要用接近30年的政治生命才觉悟巫统如此狂妄，对沙巴、砂拉越及普通马来西亚人采取了“大家长式”的主人－附庸姿态，但是未为迟也。行动党愿意与沙、砂政府政府合作，以抗衡巫统的狂妄，维护沙砂两州在马来西亚联邦政府内的平等伙伴地位，而不是像英殖民时代那种“主人－附庸”的关系。
行动党愿意与沙巴、砂拉越州政府合作，要求联邦政府给予沙砂的石油与天然气的税务从5%增加到20%，同时废除沿海运输政策（CABOTAGE POLICY）。是时候将天然财富归还给他们，以确保“一个马来西亚、一个价格”的平等待遇马上生效执行，让全体沙砂人民不再被歧视，而且还得缴付比马来半岛更高的物价。
林冠英