Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Well, well, well. Looks like someone did learn from HINDRAF’s actions. Would they proceed with the petition, or merely highlight the possibility to sound a warning?
Being curious, I would like to know, how easy (or hard) is it for Sabah and/or Sarawak to leave the Federation and be a subject of the British government or declare independence? Can they do something like join Brunei, or Singapore or Phillipines, or combine and become one country? Err…my question is not seditious, is it?
A Sabah group is taking a page from Hindraf’s book – it is seriously considering petitioning the British government on the situation of illegal migrants in the state.
Having seen their proposal for a royal commission to probe the issue of illegal immigrants in the state rebuffed by BN lawmakers, the group is exploring the possibility of filing a petition to Britain through the Commonwealth office.The Consumer Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash), which is spearheading the move, is particularly aggrieved by the 440,000 foreign illegals, including 130,000 illegal immigrants in the state.
According to Cash, many of these foreigners, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia were given local identity cards (ICs), according them all the benefits enjoyed by local Malaysians such as the right to vote.
Cash’s leader, Patrick Sindu, who is a Kadazan from Papar, told Malaysiakini that the setting up of a cabinet committee on illegal immigrants showed that the federal government was not serious in dealing with the situation.
“Only a royal commission has the real power to get into the bottom of the whole thing. We want to know the actual numbers of ICs given, why it was done so, who directed the government agencies and what will be done to leaders involved,” stressed Sindu (left).
If Cash was to follow the example from Hindu Action Front (Hindraf), which had filed a controversial lawsuit in Britain, it would be along the similar arguments that the former colonial administration had failed to ensure that rights of Sabahans be protected.
Another possible referendum?
Sindu was also not too impressed by the prime minister’s announcement over the weekend that the Sabah Federal Development Department would be abolished, something which had been demanded by many Sabahans.
He said he was more concerned that Filipino-based groups, including the separatist Mindanao Nationalist Liberation Front, might refer the unresolved Philippines’ claim on Sabah to the International Court of Justice.
The Sabahan feared if another referendum was to be had, the Filipinos having ICs would decide the matter. The Cobbold Commission had conducted a referendum in April 1962, where most Sabahans backed the merger with Malaya.
According to Sindu, the Malaysia Agreement – which is the basis for Sabah and Sarawak to join Malaya to form Malaysia – provided for reviews every decade and this was not done. There have been other breaches to the agreement since the 1963 merger, reported Cash.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/83809
