A MAJORITY of Sabahans want greater autonomy from Putrajaya, according to a The Malaysian Insight survey, as political parties intensify their campaign for control of this strategic Borneo state.

Sabah politicians said this strong sentiment could also translate into more support for regional parties, such as Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), State Reform Party (STAR) and Parti Warisan Sabah, which campaign on a pro-autonomy platform.

The Merdeka Center survey of 905 Sabah voters commissioned by The Malaysian Insight found that 67% agreed that Sabah should have more autonomy. Only 22% disagreed with more autonomy while 11% were unsure.

But 62% in the survey said Sabah was better off in the Malaysian federation, which they formed in 1963 with Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya. Only 22% felt that Sabah was worse off while 8% of respondents said things were the same.

This suggests that although a majority of respondents want Sabah to have more control over their policies and finances, they also felt that this should be done within the ambit of the federation, said Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian.

Despite the strong support for increased autonomy, nearly half of Sabahan voters (49%) said they do not trust their leaders with such power.

This could be a reflection of the low regard Sabahans have for their state government (52% were dissatisfied with the state government’s performance) and that of the opposition (only 26% viewed them positively), said Ibrahim.

“It’s also due to their dissatisfaction over how the state government is tackling corruption,” he said,  adding that 62% of respondents said the state government is unlikely to resolve corruption issues.

Those polled consisted of 44% Muslim Bumiputeras, 39% non-Muslim Bumiputeras and 17% Chinese. They also came from a diverse range of ages, jobs and income brackets (see graphics).

Local parties benefit

Dr Zaini Othman of Universiti Malaya Sabah (UMS) said that the support for “more autonomy” is actually a demand that Putrajaya fulfil its promises under the 20-point Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Among the promises are that the Sabah civil service be dominated by natives, that Sabah can raise its own taxes and manage its finances, and that the education system is under Sabah government control.

“The exact so-called demand as per expressed by many Sabahans is not about more autonomy rather it’s all about ‘executing’ what is called as Sabah rights as stipulated within the per agreed Malaysia Agreement 1963,” said Zaini, who heads UMS’ strategic and security studies centre.

“The literate Sabahan civil society felt that much of the Sabah rights as per agreed in the Malaysia Agreement have not been executed.”

Pro-autonomy Sabah politician Jeffrey Pairin Kitingan said the widespread desire for more administrative control could bode well for regional parties in the 14th general election.

“Nowadays, you even see a party such as Umno asking for more autonomy,” said Kitingan, who heads STAR.

Before he became a federal minister in 2015, then Sabah Assembly Speaker Salleh Said Keruak had urged Putrajaya to grant both Sabah and Sarawak partial autonomy.

The comment from Salleh, who is Umno Sabah deputy chief, reflects a big shift in the ruling party’s attitude concerning autonomy given that many Sabahans blame them for cementing Putrajaya’s hold on the state.

“Sabah direct rule from Putrajaya via Umno is one of the reasons why we feel it is being recolonised by Malaya and why Malaya is not fulfilling the Malaysia Agreement,” said Kitingan, who was detained under the now defunct Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1992 for writing on state rights. – May 18, 2017.