KOTA KINABALU: Sabah now seems to be steadily losing its vocal voice again, and there is a dire need to push forward new leaders to become its Members of Parliament in the impending general election, according to president of Pertubuhan Kebudayaan Rumpun Dayak Sabah (PKRDS), Cleftus Spine Mojingol.
“The once outspoken in safeguarding Sabah’s rights, and standing up to the condescending Federal Government has mellowed down,” said Cleftus in a statement on Friday.
“Sarawak and even Kelantan state leaders, on the contrary, have become more assertive on state rights especially on oil and gas, as compared to Sabah.
“Sarawak, through efforts by its state government, with pressure from all stakeholders, and using its own State Assembly-enacted laws has managed to regain much new wealth to offset lost opportunities all these years,” he went on.
“We do not want Sabah to be slowly turned into a subservient vassal state, or become a Federal Territory Sabah where the central leaders treat Sabah just as its milking cow.
“We also want more concrete legal actions from both the current Federal and Sabah leaders, including coming up with fair settlements on oil and gas claims by Sabah, just like what Sarawak did with and in regards to Petronas,” Cleftus asserted.
“If it means we have to challenge the Petroleum Development Act 1974, which never had the explicit consent of the Sabah State Assembly, then by all means we have to go for certain court’s declaration.”
He said Sabah leaders should not attempt to hoodwink the people by claiming the state will get this and that next years, when nothing is being done now to re-regulate the role of Petronas and the state on oil and gas found within Sabah.
“One reason why Sabah and majority of Sabahans continue to languish in poverty is the continuous looting of its rich natural resources. Another reason is the perennial corruption. Both are very much intertwined in Malaysia, previously and currently.
“It is time the people must consider to push for more independent fresh leaders to spearhead Sabah at the coming 15th general election,” said Cleftus.
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