[mk] KL treats Sabah, Sarawak as neo-colonies

http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/40125
KL treats Sabah, Sarawak as neo-colonies
Mary Tan, Kuching
Sep 8, 05 3:19pm





I strongly disagree with John Lee?s letter, Merdeka: Aug 31 or Sept 16?
which suggests that the establishment of the correct date for Malaysia?s
independence is not important. It is, to say the least, an arrogant insult
to the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

Lee?s assertions are symptomatic of the neo-colonial attitude of the ruling
elites and their mouthpieces in the Peninsula which treats Sabah and
Sarawak as their neo-colonies.

Besides the vast and obvious differences between the languages, cultures
and religions between the natives of Sabah and Sarawak on one hand and
those of the Malays in the Peninsula on the other, the history of
socio-economic and political development of the two regions of Malaysia are
also fundamentally dissimilar.

Sabah and Sarawak, together with Brunei, could have become independent as a
North Borneoan polity separate from the Peninsula had there been no Western
interference. But, unfortunately, through the collaboration of their
puppets in Kuala Lumpur, Western imperialists finally deprived the people
of North Borneo their rights to independence.

To be sure, the correct dating of Malaysia?s Merdeka is not the only issue.
Kuala Lumpur-initiated policies of Islamisation and the Malay language as
well as cultural assimilation have made the people of Sabah and Sarawak the
second-class citizens of the so-called federation, if not the feudal
subjects of the political courts in Kuala Lumpur.

Also, the rich resources of Sabah and Sarawak have been exploited only to
enrich the ruling elites in Kuala Lumpur and a clique of their cronies and
agents here leaving the majority of the people in Sabah and Sarawak worse
off than before.

It is time for the people of Sabah and Sarawak seriously and critically
re-examine the real meaning of Merdeka as well as the cost and benefit of
our enforced and unequal ?union? with the Kuala Lumpur regime.
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[pluto note: the above is a verbatim copy and paste message without any comment from me. If i have any comment, it is in square brackets thus [pn...]

cheers
pluto
.

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