Full Support for East Malaysia Sovereignty

SARAWAK AND SABAH NATIONALISTS OF 17 CIVIL MOVEMENTS UNITE TO URGE THE SARAWAK GOVERNMENT TO DEFEND STATE RIGHTS AS ENSHRINED IN MALAYSIA AGREEMENT
A grouping of 17 nationalist movements in Sarawak and Sabah with a combined membership strength of 65,000 want the Sarawak government to continue to defend and uphold peace, peoples' harmony and state rights under the Malaysia Agreement inked in 1963.

The Honourable Chief Minister of Sarawak, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud,
The Honourable Senior Minister and Incoming Chief Minister of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Adenan Satem,

Dear Honourable Sirs,

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF MINISTER AND INCOMING CHIEF MINISTER OF SARAWAK OF CONVEYING CONGRATULATIONS AND FULL SUPPORT IN DEFENDING SARAWAK’S RIGHTS

We, the union of Sarawak and Sabah Nationalists, would like to congratulate the Honourable Chief Minister on his imminent retirement as Sarawak's Chief Minister and Senior Minister Datuk Amar AdenanSatem for his appointment as the new Chief Minister of Sarawak.

We write especially to congratulate and thank the Chief Minister for his part in re-asserting and defending the independence rights of our country including last year's official commemoration of Sarawak Independence on 22 July 1963, before the British Malayan incorporation of our country, Negara Sarawak, into Malaysia. This gesture has been greatly and enthusiastically welcomed and supported by all patriotic Sarawakians especially those campaigning for the reinstatement of Sarawak sovereignty.

We hope Datuk Amar Adenan as an elected representative of the Sarawak people, will also be remembered for faithfully carrying out his obligations and duties to Sarawak, particularly in continuing to defend Sarawak's peace, its peoples’ harmony and sovereignty rights under the Malaysian Agreement 1963, as re-affirmed by his immediate predecessor Pehin Sri Taib.

We strongly support and thank The Honourable Sirs, for continuing to firmly resist the infiltration and decades-long attempts by the Malayans to impose their divisive Peninsular "Malaysian" race and religion supremacist agenda on our people.

OUR SPIRITS UPLIFTED BY DEFENCE OF SARAWAK RIGHTS
Our spirits are lifted by Pehin Sri Taib’s recent reiteration of his firm and consistent stand against Umno’s racism, as well as his very strong stand against religious bigotry.

As loyal and concerned Sarawak citizens, we hereby express our full support for Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud's recent call for us Sarawakians to defend our independence rights as reached in the Malaysian Agreement 1963.

We Sarawakians, as are our brothers and sisters in Sabah, have been living with a great sense of injustice under the Malayan (or the so-called ‘Peninsular Malaysia’/’West Malaysia’) political domination. We, Sarawakians, have been long accustomed not to question those grievances, but we are extremely encouraged by your very outspoken defence of our Sarawak rights.

Pehin Sri, your defence of Sarawak resounds throughout our land and beyond, and no one in Malaya dares to question you back. The reason that they do not dare is because they know you are right, and they are the guilty parties. That is why your powerful defence has been well received by all Sarawakians, and much admired by Sabahans.

Pehin Sri, your efforts have contributed to protecting Sarawak to a degree, from the harmful undemocratic elements from Malaya.

In recent months, many politicians from both the political divide had made intimidating reminders that any attempts to question status quo on Sarawak’s rights under MA63 would be considered ‘seditious’ and even ‘treason’. Yet, when you had made the call to defend those rights recently, no one had said anything about it.

Thus, we are taking it that our calls for Sarawak’s independence rights are proven non-seditious and not treacherous in nature as those politician had tried to portrayed, and we want to show to the rest of Sarawakians and Sabahans that it is as thus.

MALAYSIA FORMATION, SINGAPORE SECESSION & ABROGATION OF MA63
Sarawak and Sabah had agreed with Malaya and Singapore more than half a century ago to form “Malaysia” on basis of being four independent countries (Negaras) as equal partners in the Federation of Malaysia under the international Treaty being the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

However we note that the MA63 recorded Sabah and Sarawak as “colonies” at the time and this confirmed that it was the original intention of Britain in collusion with Malaya to transfer our two countries to Malayan rule in an effort to preserve British strategic and economic interests. Thus “Independence” on 22 July 1963 may be just an afterthought.

Further over 50 years Malaya has effectively repudiated this international Treaty (MA63) by deliberately neglecting to comply with the agreement and abusing our rights as equal partners and treated us as only just another Malayan State, not as one of three countries remaining in the Federation and the implementation of “Malayanization” under the New Economic Policy (NEP) instead of the agreed “Borneonization”.

The secession of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965 effectively abrogated the MA63 but Malaya prevented Sabah and Sarawak from following suit then. The MA63 should no longer apply to us but if it does, it is an “unequal treaty” and not legally binding by international law.

We therefore call on the Sarawak Government to demand that Kuala Lumpur must take immediate steps to comply with and formalize Article 8 of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 whereby the stated issues must be discussed between the government of the Federation of Malaya, and respective governments of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners.

Failure to implement this "Compliance" mechanism means the existence of Malaysia is questionable. Malaya has either to restore our rights and position as an equal partner or be prepared to decolonize both Sabah and Sarawak because we believe Sabah and Sarawak have an intrinsic right to secede at will; Singapore had showed us the way in 1965 in accordance to Lord Lansdowne’s statement that “any State voluntarily entering a federation had an intrinsic right to secede at will, and that it was therefore unnecessary to include it in the Constitution”.

To begin with, the Malaysian Parliament should have three member countries with equal voting power and Malaya should stop being the “Federation” and hold ultimate power over Sabah and Sarawak.

REGAINING CONTROL OF OUR RESOURCES, FINANCE & INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Part of the nationalist campaign is take back control of Sarawak oil and gas. Since 40 years ago, 100 percent of Sarawak oil and gas production profits have been drained off by the Federal Government through Petronas to "develop" Malaya at Sarawakians' expense. 100 percent from our oil and gas export tax income, as well as 100 percent from oil and lubricants import tax income are also been taken by the federal government, in reality the Malayan Government.

Our people and country should have greatly benefited from development with all the oil and gas profits which have been used to develop Malaya instead.

Apart from that, on the pretext of ‘national interests’ and to justify the need to ‘protect domestic shipping industry’, the Cabotage Policy had been introduced in 1980. The Policy had caused significant distress and injustice towards Sarawakians. It forces Sarawakians to endure what are among the highest cost of living in Malaysia. In addition the Policy thwarts the growth of our industries, commerce and trade to the advantage of the Malayan economy.

In communications and infrastructure, Sarawak has less than one-third of the total length of tar-sealed roads in this country, when it is the largest state in the country. The Borneo Highway, a “federal project” is still not completed after 50 years, whilst Malaya has developed a well connected interstate highway system.

This burden especially on the majority poor is now to be increased by the imposition of the GST tax.

In the 2011 National Budget totalling RM109 billion, Sarawak, and Sabah, collectively had been allocated with only RM9.75 billion, meaning both states obtaining merely less than 5 percent of the National Budget.

This is extremely unjust when both states contribute more than 60 percent of revenue into the national coffer. For the years 2012-2014 meanwhile, Sarawak and Sabah only received RM3 billion, in comparison to our national debt chalked up to RM540 billion.

OUR FEARS OF FURTHER MALAYANISATION & ATTACKS ON OUR RIGHTS & ASPIRATIONS
We also, wish to express our fears that without strong support from our elected lawmakers to defend Sarawak’s rights, the average Sarawakian may be left voiceless and without hope. Therefore, we wish that you will be defending those rights alongside each other - ADUN and parliamentarians - and not against each other.

Honourable Sirs, we fear that what is happening in Sabah now will creep insidiously into Sarawak should we take things for granted. We strongly urge that our Honourable Sirs be constantly on guard against such a situation being played out in Sarawak.

Sabah’s loss of safeguards and erosion of rights as enshrined in MA63 is an open secret, leaving Sabahans in a state of bleakness and helplessness.

However there shall be renewed hope for them as today, the people of Sabah look to Sarawak where we have a strong nationalism awakening amongst our civil society. We cannot abandon our brothers and sisters in Sabah in their moment of need where they cling to Sarawak as their last bastion and protector.

Honourable Sirs, we hope you will continue to be a beacon of hope to lead Sarawak and Sabah to protect and defend our State Rights. Any lapse in vigilance on your firm stand on Sarawak constitutional and legal rights will mean a tragic loss not just to Sarawak but to Sabah as well.

Yet, if you persist with upholding these concrete independence principles for Sarawak’s benefits, we are sure you will have the strongest support from Sabahans and Sarawakians. With our peoples’ sentiments to fight for our rights getting stronger by the day, we place high expectations on you to fulfil your duties to uphold Negara Sarawak sovereignty and merited matters, while any lapse may create an equally great dissent against you.

Your actions have provided very significant encouragement and support to us in our struggle to further guarding, reclaiming and enhancing Sarawak’s independence rights and privileges. We, the Sarawak and Sabah nationalists, will always strive to further enhance this awareness level in any way we can.

We fully support the peoples’ goal of seeking what Sarawak had fully deserved, currently deserve and always deserve as an "independent country in Malaysia".

And as was the motto of the Kingdom of Sarawak, “Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban”, we Sarawakians will hope as long as we breathe.

Therefore Honourable Sirs, we strongly hope that you will continue to carry out the obligations and duties you have been entrusted to, by the people for the people.

SARAWAK FOR SARAWAKIANS

Yours faithfully,

UNION OF SABAH AND SARAWAK NATIONALISTS’ MOVEMENTS:
(in alphabetical order)

722 Sarawak Independence Day
916 Occupation Day
Borneo Freedom Movement
Borneo Native Liberation
Borneo Oracle Group
Gerakan Nasionales Sabah
Haji Julaihi Haji Suut
Perjanjian Malaysia
Sabah New Hope
Sabah Sarawak: Imbasan Kemerdekaan
Sarawak Menuju Merdeka
Sarawak Nationalists
The Voice of Borneo
United Borneo Front
United Borneo Front Negara Sarawak
United State of Borneo
Voices of Freedom

This is a most informative article found in Free Malaysia Today.  It is written by a friend I've come to know and respect and it quotes another good friend of mine regarding several important issues that the Malaysia and the whole world must understand and  recognize.  

KUCHING:  With Sarawak preparing to receive its seventh governor later this week, the issue of his rightful title has surfaced.

A Sarawak NGO has called for the reinstatement of the original title for the governor which is ‘Tuan Yang Terutama Yang DiPertuan Negara’ as befitting the head of a country.

Sarawak Association for People’s Aspiration (Sapa) president Lina Soo reminded that Sarawak was an independent nation when it signed the Malaysia Agreement together with Sabah and Singapore.
And that honour must be returned to state with the accent of Taib Mahmud as Sarawak’s seventh governor.

Taib steps down as Sarawak Chief Minister on Friday, Feb 28. He is expected to receive his credentials as Governor from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Shah Mu’adzam the same morning.

The ceremony will be held at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur. Taib is expected to be sworn in as the new head of state at the Sarawak State Assembly on Saturday.

Inspired by Taib’s closing call for Sarawakians to protect Sarawak and that the Malaysia Agreement status quo remains, Soo asserted that the first step to reclaiming the state’s rights was to ensure the governor is called “TYT Yang Di Pertuan Negara”.

“In 1976, the Federal Constitution was amended to relegate the status of Sarawak from one of three entities – Federated States of Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah – to the 13th state of Malaysia.

“It is interesting to note nothing was mentioned of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 which actually created the Federal Constitution; and the fact the Constitution shall remain supreme as long as it is consistent with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the Inter-Government Committee Report (IGC).
“Sapa supports the firm stand of (Pehin Sri) Taib in setting the benchmark for Federal – State relations vis-a-vis Malaysia Agreement 1963, and provides the catalyst for the people of Sarawak to claim their state rights as provided for in the Agreement,” she said in a statement.

Soo added that the change in the title came about because the federal authorties wanted to standardise the title at par with Malacca and Penang.

“But Penang and Malacca are part of the entity of the federated states of Malaya unlike Sarawak which is an entity by itself.

“Therefore the title should be changed to ‘Yang Di Pertua Negara’.. it is the first step,”  she said.

Breaches of an international agreement

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?