In 1963, when the colony of Sarawak became a partner, despite widespread Sarawakian opposition against it, suppression and subsequent mistreatment and human rights abuses by the British colonial authorities, in the formation of Malaysia there was an agreement called the Malaysian agreement that the founding fathers signed. It was a supreme untouchable international agreement between both partners Sarawak and Sabah and Malaya with socio-economic and political safeguards for Sarawak and Sabah against recolonization by any foreign entities or people who would be non-Sarawakians and non-Sabahans. Sarawak and Sabah were not to be treated as ordinary federation states and it was plainly stated that there would be "BORNEOLIZATION" and not Malayanization in the civil service. There would also be no official religion in both Sabah and Sarawak. All mineral wealth and resources were rightfully those of Sarawak and Sabah. English would be the official language in both federation partners.
So what is the truth - have there been changes made to this agreement against the inheritance of us Sarawakians and Sabahans? I question why the written promises of a review could not be kept over such an important issue that affects the lives and livelihood and even future of we, the people of these states that were once fully independent. Lately, the cbrushing off in parliament of discussing the agreement was in the news..Understandably, there is an outcry regarding this as the present Barisan government has played up the religious issue of "Allah" usage and the decision of a court of appeal has obvious legal ramifications that every Tom, Dick and Harry can understand. Wool cannot be pulled over the eyes of an ordinary people that a Cabinet - that is not above the law - waiver would allow Sarawakians and Borneons to use the "Allah" word.
Many of my legitimate questions such as those I've mentioned demand answers and I ask as an ordinary Joe, another question out of many others that many of us want to know which pertains to our chief mineral - oil. How did an agreement come about that makes our oil rich Sarawak and Sabah surrender all the rights over it and we are given only a misery 5% as royalty? Who has benefitted from this sort of deal? To add insult to injury, why are we living in such bad conditions in our two resource-rich states? There is wide-spread poverty made worse by rapid deforestation of our forests; disgusting pot-hole-riddled, unevenly 'bouncy' roads and highways, dangerous river and road transportation network, unfair cabbotage levy amongst many other glaring unequal lop-sided development and federal treatment. Do we not as Sarawakians (and Sabahans) ask ourselves the obvious sensible question, "Why the bloody hell are we as mineral-wealthy folk not living on a standard similar or even close to Malaya or our neighbors oil-rich Bruneians and non-mineral wealthy Singaporeans after being so-called partners-now unjustly down-graded to vassal states-in Malaysia for so over 50 years? Who is benefitting from our relationship at our Sarawakian and Sabahan expense and misery?
So what is the truth - have there been changes made to this agreement against the inheritance of us Sarawakians and Sabahans? I question why the written promises of a review could not be kept over such an important issue that affects the lives and livelihood and even future of we, the people of these states that were once fully independent. Lately, the cbrushing off in parliament of discussing the agreement was in the news..Understandably, there is an outcry regarding this as the present Barisan government has played up the religious issue of "Allah" usage and the decision of a court of appeal has obvious legal ramifications that every Tom, Dick and Harry can understand. Wool cannot be pulled over the eyes of an ordinary people that a Cabinet - that is not above the law - waiver would allow Sarawakians and Borneons to use the "Allah" word.
Many of my legitimate questions such as those I've mentioned demand answers and I ask as an ordinary Joe, another question out of many others that many of us want to know which pertains to our chief mineral - oil. How did an agreement come about that makes our oil rich Sarawak and Sabah surrender all the rights over it and we are given only a misery 5% as royalty? Who has benefitted from this sort of deal? To add insult to injury, why are we living in such bad conditions in our two resource-rich states? There is wide-spread poverty made worse by rapid deforestation of our forests; disgusting pot-hole-riddled, unevenly 'bouncy' roads and highways, dangerous river and road transportation network, unfair cabbotage levy amongst many other glaring unequal lop-sided development and federal treatment. Do we not as Sarawakians (and Sabahans) ask ourselves the obvious sensible question, "Why the bloody hell are we as mineral-wealthy folk not living on a standard similar or even close to Malaya or our neighbors oil-rich Bruneians and non-mineral wealthy Singaporeans after being so-called partners-now unjustly down-graded to vassal states-in Malaysia for so over 50 years? Who is benefitting from our relationship at our Sarawakian and Sabahan expense and misery?
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