Thursday, April 06, 2006
Respect people's wishes: Jeffrey
Daily Express
Kota Kinabalu: Former State Assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said Barisan Nasional (BN) is going to lose in the next State election if they ignore the wishes of the local people with regard to the Maang issue.
"If they are going to force the issue (relocate the Sri Tanjung squatters to Maang), I think they are going to lose in the next election. Because it means they are not respecting the rights of the people.
"The Government at the highest level should reconsider. They may think it is a small issue but not so for the people. The Government should never go back to this approach of forcing things down the throat of the people without listening to them," he told a news conference here Tuesday.
Dr Jeffrey said the Maang/Sri Tanjung furore is an "explosive" issue and, if not handled properly, could affect the political landscape in the State.
"To me, the people have the right to make their stand. They have the right to fear. Therefore, we should respect this right, respect their feelings. Instead of forcing the issue, the Government should look for other solutions."
He said as far as the issue was concerned, he, as an ordinary citizen and a member of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), stands by the Maang folks.
"Because it is not right to solve a problem of this nature, like people illegally squatting on Government land to be given a place legally when they are illegals in the first place. These people seem to be special. Why are the Matabian locals not treated the same way? Their houses were demolished and they were displaced without compensation. And yet these people have more rights because they are natives. Under the Federal Constitution, native rights are guaranteed. What happened to their rights in this case?"
On Sri Tanjung, he said he knew the outer portion is resided by Indonesians while the inner by Filipinos.
"Screening by looking at their MyKads is not enough. It must go down to their background - where they were born, who their parents are and their place of origin. One way is to look at their birth certificates but more than that is needed, like, their parents' birth certificates, for instance."
He said the fact that many of the foreigners have MyKad is "another illegal issue"."I'm sorry to say this, but it is something I know cannot happen without the involvement of certain people in the authorities," he said.
According to him, the issue is just the tip of the iceberg."We have this problem all over Sabah. The real issue is, how can we resolve the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah. How can we resolve and tackle this problem of foreigners being given Malaysian citizenship overnight. So this is not just a Maang issue. It is a national issue. Focus on this problem and find a comprehensive solution," he urged.
Dr Jeffrey, who is also a KDCA Deputy President, said he agreed with Suhakam and the suggestion by some groups to set up a Royal Commission.
"It is the right call. They are not asking for themselves. They are asking for the country."
He said KDCA would support the signature campaign initiated by Consumers Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash).Meanwhile, Dr Jeffrey, when asked about his political plan, particularly with regard to joining the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said if he had to, he would get involved in politics again.
"I am resting, just observing, taking note of everything that's happening. But it doesn't mean I am not doing anything. This is my country. I love this country. I don't want anything to happen to it. I will keep on defending it," he asserted.
Respect people's wishes: Jeffrey
Daily Express
Kota Kinabalu: Former State Assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said Barisan Nasional (BN) is going to lose in the next State election if they ignore the wishes of the local people with regard to the Maang issue.
"If they are going to force the issue (relocate the Sri Tanjung squatters to Maang), I think they are going to lose in the next election. Because it means they are not respecting the rights of the people.
"The Government at the highest level should reconsider. They may think it is a small issue but not so for the people. The Government should never go back to this approach of forcing things down the throat of the people without listening to them," he told a news conference here Tuesday.
Dr Jeffrey said the Maang/Sri Tanjung furore is an "explosive" issue and, if not handled properly, could affect the political landscape in the State.
"To me, the people have the right to make their stand. They have the right to fear. Therefore, we should respect this right, respect their feelings. Instead of forcing the issue, the Government should look for other solutions."
He said as far as the issue was concerned, he, as an ordinary citizen and a member of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), stands by the Maang folks.
"Because it is not right to solve a problem of this nature, like people illegally squatting on Government land to be given a place legally when they are illegals in the first place. These people seem to be special. Why are the Matabian locals not treated the same way? Their houses were demolished and they were displaced without compensation. And yet these people have more rights because they are natives. Under the Federal Constitution, native rights are guaranteed. What happened to their rights in this case?"
On Sri Tanjung, he said he knew the outer portion is resided by Indonesians while the inner by Filipinos.
"Screening by looking at their MyKads is not enough. It must go down to their background - where they were born, who their parents are and their place of origin. One way is to look at their birth certificates but more than that is needed, like, their parents' birth certificates, for instance."
He said the fact that many of the foreigners have MyKad is "another illegal issue"."I'm sorry to say this, but it is something I know cannot happen without the involvement of certain people in the authorities," he said.
According to him, the issue is just the tip of the iceberg."We have this problem all over Sabah. The real issue is, how can we resolve the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah. How can we resolve and tackle this problem of foreigners being given Malaysian citizenship overnight. So this is not just a Maang issue. It is a national issue. Focus on this problem and find a comprehensive solution," he urged.
Dr Jeffrey, who is also a KDCA Deputy President, said he agreed with Suhakam and the suggestion by some groups to set up a Royal Commission.
"It is the right call. They are not asking for themselves. They are asking for the country."
He said KDCA would support the signature campaign initiated by Consumers Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash).Meanwhile, Dr Jeffrey, when asked about his political plan, particularly with regard to joining the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said if he had to, he would get involved in politics again.
"I am resting, just observing, taking note of everything that's happening. But it doesn't mean I am not doing anything. This is my country. I love this country. I don't want anything to happen to it. I will keep on defending it," he asserted.
posted by Gundohing at
6:37 PM
4 Comments:
This is typical of the Federal Government's way of increasing the number of pro-UMNO voters to the Kadazandusun's dominated areas. For the Indonesians and Filipinos who had acquired Mykad, to ensure continued recognition of the validity of the Mykad is to vote BN. The Sabah people knows it, it has been happening for the past 20 years! How else could you explain the sudden increase of the number of "Malays" in Sabah over the last 20 years.
This should be a reminder for the Sabahan how the British "imports" the Indians and the Chinese to Malaya where in the end the locals gets displaced. 30 years from now the imported Indonesians and Filipinos children will unshamely demands the same rights as fellow citizens the way the Chinese and Indians are doing now in Malaysia!.
On the other hand, some may argued that there would not be economic progress without the contribution of the industrious chinese and the hard working Indian labourers.
Maybe it is true. But at a cost of losing your "ketuanan" because they are the ones who eventually becomes rich and buys up your kampung land for housing development and you end up renting your boxy flats from them and working for them.
Or was it an excuse the politicians led you to believe to cover their past blunders in policy making? While the politicians continue to be rich because culture of bribes continues naturally for these "imported Malaysians" as the said culture was establised since the acqusition of their NRIC.
Greedy people in power wants to continue to rule by whatever means available at their disposal. Even if they have to sell the country. Ask yourself - Is your Sabah's UMNO/BN leaders greedy? You know the answer and the person we are talking about.
I offer no apologies for my remarks, because I see history repeating itself
justchamp said...
Gundohing,
The truth is you and your kind have lost the absolute political power. Of course it hurt. Blaming everyone is not going to change the equation. Face the reality and focus on what is left before you and your kind become irrelevant.
Gundohing said...
Justchamp, you are right. It's a bitter pill to swallow. We are 30% now from 50% 20 years ago.
Giving up control of the IC issuance was a big mistake. That was made by Harris the Pakistani CM.
The irony is dispite all these blatant breach of internal security by giving away citizenship freely to foreigners, It reminds me of Hishamuddin wielding his Keris as a show of "Ketuanan Melayu" which begs the questions if the Indonesian and Filipinos are more Malays than the Kadazandusuns.
albertmosibun said...
Jeffrey,
You talk a lot, but can anyone believe what you say? Once you were on a pedestal among your kadazan people when you were the PBS ideologue. Your political stocks rose to peak levels when you were detained under the ISA for your defence of our beloved kadazan people. Your Phd thesis from HARVARD indeed accurately disclosed the plight of our people.
What has happened since then? you have changed political parties like you change the clothes on your back. from once condemning UMNO/BN you have swung to become their lapdogs. you even lick the pigshit on the soles of their shoes. Your own kadazan people despise you. Your brother pairin is no better.
You, pairin, max ongkili, dompok and the other PBS leaders have sold the rights of our beloved kadazan and murut peoples down the drain to the semenanjung kolonialists just to suck up to UMNO our traditional enemies.
So now you plan to join keadilan after making no headway in PRS, upko, etc.
Do everyone,especially your kadazan people, a favour. Quit politics and retire with your ill gotten gains. You have cried wolf too many times. nobody will believe you.
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