Tangau
KOTA KINABALU: Umno must also be prepared for a full renegotiation of the federal setup for Malaysia, if it wants to unilaterally amend the Federal Constitution to expand Syariah Law so that Sabah and Sarawak can gain more autonomy, said Upko.
Upko president Datuk Seri Panglima WIlfred Madius Tangau, deputy president Senator Datuk Donald Mojuntin and vice president Datuk Ewon Benedict reiterated that not only was the Federation of Malaya established as a secular federation where Islam as the “religion of the federation” plays only ceremonial roles, but more importantly, Sabah and Sarawak, which have never been part of the ‘Negeri-negeri Melayu’ proudly embrace their diverse ethnic and religious heritage.
They pointed out in a joint statement on Monday that Malaysia is a secular federation and no party should mistake Malaysia as an expansion of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu.
Umno must remember that Malaysia was formed in 1963 through a merger of four countries, the independent Federation of Malaya (a former British protectorate) and three former British colonies namely; North Borneo (later known as Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore.
The commitment for a secular and liberal society is reflected in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and enshrined in the Federal Constitution, which all Malaysian parliamentarians have sworn to uphold.
Lest we forget the Batu Bersumpah (Oath Stone) in Keningau, Sabah. For the Sabahan natives, the social contract of becoming Malaysians is a two-way traffic – loyalty for Malaysia is premised upon the guarantee of religious freedom.
They also said that constitutional changes involving the fundamental character of the Federation of Malaysia must be a package deal. Social contract cannot be changed in a lopsided way. If Malaya wants to be more Syariah-governed, then Sabah and Sarawak must be autonomous.
“Sabahans and Sarawakians will also not accept any false assurances that they would not be affected if the expansion of Syariah Law is limited to the Malayan states.
“If Malaya is adamant to expand Syariah laws, then Sabah and Sarawak must become autonomous regions with a substantial control of their economic resources to provide ample opportunities in employment and education,” said the three leaders.
They call upon Umno Sabah, together with Bersatu Sabah, PBS and STAR to stand with the rest of Sabah and Sarawak in defending the rights, freedom and lifestyle of Borneo.
“We urge Umno to also consider the implication of making itself a PAS Lite to its prospect of leading the next Federal Government.
“Sabahans and Sarawakians do not accept PAS in our own states. We will also not accept Umno as PAS Lite to helm the Federal Government. If Umno needs an assurance of that, wait for the results on the GE15 election night,” they said.
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