Borneo Herald
10.00AM MYT, 4-3-2026
This is in response to comments made by some activists and politicians of a certain alleged "Borneo Bloc" for combined 56 Sabah and Sarawak MPs.
By Voon Lee Shan, Kuching
TODAY, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) reaffirms a fundamental truth: there is no such thing as observed by PBK that there is a so-called “Borneo Bloc” conspiring to control Malaya. That narrative is a convenient distortion to confuse the general public.
There is no unified bloc of Sabah and Sarawak acting as one political force to dominate anyone. In reality, both Sarawak and Sabah have been struggling—individually and consistently—to defend the rights guaranteed to them at the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
The historical record is clear. Malaysia was formed as a partnership of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, and Singapore. It was not meant to be an expansion of Malaya under a new name, Malaysia.
The Federal Constitution remains fundamentally rooted in the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya, modified to admit new territories. What was promised as an equal partnership has, in practice, operated as central control by the federation of Malaya.
The balance of power within federal Parliament tells its own story: Sarawak holds 31 seats, Sabah 25—together insufficient to block federal legislation even when it directly affects their independence, resources, and future. This is seen by growing unsatisfaction of people of Borneo Territories of control and " political suffocation " of Borneo people. They are not able to protect their constitutional rights.
Control of national policy, cabinet formation, and executive authority remains concentrated in the hands of Malaya. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah and Sarawak are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, yet neither state has the institutional pathway to hold that highest office. Symbolism matters. Power structures matter even more.
The Petroleum Development Act 1974 marked a turning point. Through that Act, along with subsequent federal legislation such as the Continental Shelf framework and territorial sea expansions, oil and gas resources—long belonging to our territories of Sabah and Sarawak —were centralized under Petronas and effectively placed under the authority of the Prime Minister. The economic lifeblood of Borneo was transferred away from the people of Borneo.
Is not Malaya controlling Borneo Territories?
How could Borneo territories even if there is a "Borneo Bloc" able to control Malaya?
This is not a matter of sentiment. It is a matter of constitutional reality, political representation, and economic sovereignty.
It is difficult to convince rising "political tide" in Sabah and Sarawak that Sabah and Sarawak are not colonies of Malaya or at least been treated as colonies of Malaya.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang states unequivocally:
Sarawak is not a colony.
Sabah is not a colony.
Malaysia was never meant to be a unitary state dominated by one region.
The call for restoration of rights is not extremism. It is not anti-federal. It is a legitimate demand grounded in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (if valid) and the principle of equal partnership.
We reject fear-based narratives that paint Bornean self-determination as aggression. We reject the myth of a “Borneo Bloc” seeking control over Malaya. The real imbalance lies elsewhere.
The time has come for honest national reflection.
If Malaysia is to endure as a just federation, it must confront its structural inequalities. True unity cannot be built upon centralization that sidelines founding partners. True federation cannot survive without genuine independence, fiscal justice, and political balance.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang stands firm:
Restore independence.
Restore resource rights.
Restore equal partnership.
Only then can Malaysia become what it was meant to be—not an enlargement of Malaya, but a federation of equals.
Voon Lee Shan is President of a Sarawak-based nationalist party, Parti Bumi Kenyalang#~Borneo Herald™
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