KOTA KINABALU: The current political scenario, in which Sabah now has
two chief ministers and a constitutional crisis is already brewing, it’s
time for all Sabahans to come into a pan-Sabahan unity, a much stronger
solidarity to avert the possibility of a reverse takeover of Sabah.
The president of Parti Solidarity Tanahairku (STAR), Datuk Dr. Jeffrey
G. Kitingan, saying this in a statement here, pointed out to the
euphoria of the immigrant community with the appointment of Warisan’s
president, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, as the second chief minister sworn
in unconstitutionally after the recent GE14.
“This development is
a challenge to the pan-Sabah community comprising the Chinese, and
Momogun community and others,” he said. “We are facing the possibility
of a flood new overnight citizens with many immigrants, who are holding
work passes and IMM13 documents, now expecting the Warisan government to
issue them MyCards as soon as possible. They are already unable to
control themselves from expressing their excitement for this prospect in
the social media.
“Of course we have no objections to legal
immigrants, those who become citizens through the legal means. What is
dangerous is the sudden escalation of what has been happening since the
1970s, which was the massive influx of illegal immigrant who later
became overnight Bumiputeras,” Dr. Jeffrey warned.
He said, in
view of this imminent danger, the community of genuine Sabahans must now
rally together in a new unity to protect their rights and autonomy by
stopping a drastic change in our demography.
“Most importantly,
it’s way past the time for the former KDM-based BN parties and those in
the opposition before GE14 to come back to the roots and form a new
pan-Sabah solidarity!” he said. “Along with the non-KDM-based parties
and the components of the Gabungan Sabah should now sit down to discuss
the immediate formation of a Sabah political coalition.
“I have
heard that some of the KDM assemblymen who have decided to join the
Warisan pact to form the government are now re-thinking their decision
in view of their obvious conflict of interests as politicians who are
supposedly fighting for their future of their people,” he said.
With regards to his decision to team up with Tan Sri Musa to form a
government pact, he deeply regretted that his own people have
vociferously condemned his action as a betrayal to his voters and his
people.
“Despite their initial anger, many KDMs who were calling
me ‘katak’ as if it is the dirtiest word in Sabah politics, are now
realizing that I was acting in the interests and future of my people,”
he explained. “As I have already said I made the decision after seeing
the illegal immigrants celebrating Warisan’s election wins, loudly in
the streets of the state capital. I was further convinced to make the
pact after getting the agreement from Tan Sri Musa for us to kick Umno
and BN out Sabah, implement Sabah IC and continue the fight for Sabah’s
right and autonomy.
“Eventually people will be reminded and made
to see that in all my political struggles, I had done nothing less than
to fight for Sabahan rights,” he added. “But let’s not wait for the
distant future to do the right things. The time to act is now when the
ominous challenge stares at us in the face.”
