THE sense of ownership that Sabahans feel for their home has clearly been misunderstood, said Sabah leaders, who made it clear it was never their intention to incite hatred or destabilise the country.

The “Sabah for Sabahans” call was for the East Malaysian states to be treated as equal partners by the federal government and for the return of their rights, said Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president Junz Wong.

He said national leaders needed to imagine themselves in the Sabahans’ shoes before accusing them of regionalism.

“The federal leaders need to speak as national leaders, not base their opinions on peninsular Malaysian views. Learn about Sabah, Sarawak issues and address them.”

“The Sabah for Sabahan sentiment has existed for decades in the state. If such a call is seditious, Warisan will stop making it now, but there is no guarantee that Sabahans will also stop.

Umno No. 2 Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday slammed the so-called rising regionalism in Sabah and Sarawak for Sarawakian, warning that the “Sabah for Sabahans” motto was seditious and those sharing such sentiments were liable to be severely penalised.

The Sabah for Sabahans call gained voice in the 1990s following allegations that the federal government was not keeping its end of the bargain as set in the Malaysia Agreement 1963. Among the reasons for the discontent was the failure of Sabah to receive 40% of the revenue derived from the state.  There is also unhappiness over the perceived downgrading of Sabah to the status of merely one of the 13 states in 1976, although the state is one of the four signatories to the MA63. The federal government has also never reviewed the MA63 although that was one of the terms it had agreed to at its signing.

Warisan treasurer Terrence Siambun said the slogan was not meant to incite hatred of federal leaders or West Malaysians in general, but a call for the Sabah people to be fairly treated.

“Sabahans, for one, never wanted (race-based) parties like Umno for Malays, MIC for Indians and MCA for Chinese. 

“As a matter of fact, Sabahans do not share the culture of West Malaysians, but we have always been hospitable to West Malaysians visiting our state. 

“What we disagree to is that when they start meddling in the administration of the state,” he said.

Sabah Progressive Party president Yong Teck Lee said Zahid was out of touch and local leaders were representing the true aspirations of the Sabah people.

“If Sabah is not for Sabahans, then who is Sabah for? Aren’t Sabahans also Malaysians?” he said.

Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku president Jeffrey Kitingan said the slogan had existed for many years and it is the right of every Sabahan to use the slogan.

“The Sabah for Sabahans concept is like the Bangsa Johor concept,” said Jeffrey.

“Zahid is raising this up because the election is coming. What is his motive for frightening the people? We have been using this slogan for as long as I can remember.

“I think they are trying to justify the use of punitive federal laws” he said.

Jeffrey said the slogan was to assert the state’s special rights, from oil royalties to tax revenue, which deprivation had left Sabahans in poverty and Sabah undeveloped.

He said Sabah indeed belonged to the Sabahans, who were also Malaysians. – December 6, 2017.