Discard servant-and-master mentality, Yong urges Sabah leaders
KOTA KINABALU:
The people of Sabah, its leaders especially, have been urged to discard the ‘servantand-master’ mentality when dealing with the Federal government. Speaking at the briefing session for its leaders, members and supporters here on Sunday, SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said such a ‘servant-like’ mentality among a majority of its current leaders was among the main contributing factors that had caused Sabah to lose its autonomy and transformed it from a wealthy State in the past to the second poorest State in Malaysia today. “Before we could better understand the current political situation in the country, we first need to understand the formation of Malaysia back in 1963. Sabah did not join Malaysia, we formed Malaysia! This is not something that is proclaimed by me. This is clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement. We are not a branch of Federal Government. Sabah is a partner to the Federation of Malaysia,” he pointed out. Yong especially expressed disgust over the ‘servant-.like’ mentality and attitude of some State leaders who always went all out to please their ‘political masters’ at the Federal level, as reflected in the excessive body language displayed by them at the welcoming and sending-off of the Federal leaders at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA). On the recent remarks by Barisan Nasional (BN) Secretary-General Datuk Sen Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor likening the relations between Federal and Sabah to that of ‘father and son’, Yong countered that the correct context should be ‘no Sabah, no Malaysia!’ “We are not the sons, we are not the servants. We are equal. We formed Malaysia, no Sabah no Malaysia! We demand 20 per cent for our oil royalties. We want Labuan to be returned to us, and want autonomy for Sabah!” he shouted to the thunderous applauds from the audience. The former Chief Minister of Sabah also slammed the statement made by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed while campaigning in Labuan back in 1990 that BN did not require the support of Sabah and Sarawak to form the Federal Government as the Coalition had enough support back in Peninsular Malaysia. “That was back in 1990, but today, if without Sabah and Sarawak, BN won’t be the ruling Government. If not because of (support of) Sabah and Sarawak, Pak Lah is now the Opposition leader,” he quipped. On the goodies for Sabah announced by the Prime Minister last month, including the additional RM1 million development fund for each MP, Yong said the no confidence motion against the Prime Minister proposed by two SAPP MPs to press for a better deal and treatment for Sabah, clearly demonstrated that both of them truly understood and stood by the Party’s struggles for the people of Sabah. Citing Section 4 of the Petroleum Development Act 1974 which clearly stipulates that oil royalties can be reviewed, Yong asserted that the people of Sabah should not feel shy or guilty to demand for an increase of the oil royalties from 5% to 20%. “Without our oil reserve, there won’t be Petronas in Sabah today. Furthermore they are selling our oil back to us at a higher price when the prices of fuel in Brunei are only half of our fuel price,” he pointed out. He further noted that like in the case of BN, if not because of Sabah, today Petronas could have been administered by others and not BN or Umno. He also questioned whether there is any member from Sabah in the National Petroleum Advisory Council.
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