Rombakan Kabinet: Kempunan Star dan PBS oleh Anwar

Oleh Luke Rintod, 13-12-2023

KOTA KINABALU: Rombakan kabinet Kerajaan Persekutuan kelmarin sekali lagi tamparan hebat kepada dua parti Sabah, PBS dan Star, apabila tiada langsung wakil dari parti itu dipilih oleh Perdana Menteri, Anwar Ibrahim.

Umno dan DAP mendapat tambahan seorang lagi menteri penuh, masing-masing ada lima menteri sekarang, dan ramai mereka adalah juga timbalan menteri di sana sini.

Seorang timbalan menteri dari Sabah, MP Beaufort, Siti Aminah Aching, juga digugurkan tapi tiada juga dilantik dari PBS dan Star, dua parti dominan Kadazandusun dan Murut, mahupun dari Sabah.

PBS dan Star hanya mempunyai masing-masing seorang MP pada masa ini. Pada masa lalu, seorang pemimpin Star, mendiang Guande Kohoi, dilantik senator dan timbalan menteri pelancongan tapi apabila beliau meninggal, tiada penggantinya dari Star.

Demikian nasib Star dan PBS di bawah Anwar.

Syukur, Upko yang ada dua MP, dan PBRS yang hanya ada satu MP, masih berjaya disisipkan masing-masing seorang menteri dan seorang timbalan menteri.

Warisan yang ada tiga MP juga hanya ada seorang timbalan menteri.

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) yang dipimpin Hajiji Noor dan dianggotai oleh Star dan PBS ada seorang menteri dan seorang lagi timbalan menteri, kedua-duanya pemimpin muda berketurunan India/Pakistan.

Antara timbalan menteri dari Sabah termasuk seorang yang digugur iaitu Aminah, Arthur, Mustapha Sakmud dan Chan Foong Hin.

Sebagai rekod, pada masa ini dua lagi timbalan menteri dari Sabah adalah mewakili Umno, satu PKR dan satu DAP.

MP Star ~ Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (Keningau)

MP PBS ~ Lo Su Fui yang mengalahkan ketua PKR Sabah Christina Liew di Tawau

MP Upko ~ Ewon Benedik (Penampang) dan Madius Tangau (Tuaran)

MP PBRS ~ Arthur Kurup (Pensiangan)#

Anwar to revamp his year-old cabinet, ministers to take oath before King later today

After decades waiting, Anwar took power about a year ago.

THE list that has been going round since this morning. Borneo Herald has no avenue to ascertain it :

1. *Finance Minister II - Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan*, chief executive officer of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). Amir Hamzah joined the EPF in March 2021.

2. *Gobind Singh Deo*, Minister for a portion of the Communications and Digital Ministry to be split from Fahmi Fadzil's portfolio. 

3. *Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Health Minister* replacing Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

4. *Steven Sim, Human Resources Minister* replacing V. Sivakumar.

5. *Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani* - full minister, portfolio unknown

6. *Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali*, current Minister in PMO, will continue to helm the *Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry*.

*PORTFOLIO CHANGES*

1. *DR ZALIHA MUSTAFA* - From Health Minister to the new *Federal Territories Minister*.

2. *DATUK SERI FADHILAH YUSOF* - From Plantation and Commodities Minister to a portion of Nik Nadzmi's Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry split into two. 

3. *DATUK SERI MOHAMAD HASAN* From Defence Minister to *Foreign Minister*. 

4. *DATUK SERI ZAMBRY ABD KADIR* - From Foreign Minister to *Higher Education Minister*.

5. *DATUK SERI MOHAMED KHALED NORDIN) - From 

Higher Education Minister to *Defence Minister.* 

6. *FAHMI FADZIL* - His original Communications and Digital Ministry, will be split into two ministries. Fahmi is expected to helm one half that's focused on digital aspects while Gobind will likely take the communications aspect.

Malaysia fails to uphold the cores of universal human rights, says human rights group

By Peter John Jaban, 10-12-2023

HUMAN Rights Day which falls on, 10 December 2023, commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. For 75 years, the core thrust of the Declaration has been to infuse societies with principles of equality, fundamental freedoms and justice. The theme for Human Rights Day 2023 is “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All”.

Malaysia being a part of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term of 2022 – 2024, was elected on Oct 15, 2021. Unfortunately, Malaysia has failed to uphold the core Articles as enshrined under UDHR 1948, namely:

Article 1 - All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Article 2 - Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Article 7 - All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 18 - Everyone has the right to freedom of thoughts, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19 – Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Truthfully, where is Malaysia heading?

It has been a year now since the present ‘Unity Government’ under the stewardship of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was formed and the people of Malaysia are increasingly growing impatient, dissatisfied and perplexed over the uncertain roadmap of the government in leading the nation. Promises of ‘Reformation’ made during the GE15 campaign trails have yet to be delivered to the people and remain merely as yet another political speech. 

The recent announcement by the Prime Minister that an economic congress on Bumiputera would be held in January 2024 to establish a new direction and approach for a Bumiputera agenda empowerment. This is not the first time such congress was being held and not the kind of reformation we expected. This raised a question, isn't Anwar supposed to be the Prime Minister of a multiracial, multireligious nation? Isn't the economic improvement should be beneficial for all Malaysians without being bias. During GE15, campaign, Anwar claimed that the Indians and Orang Asli are among country's poorest. Hence isn’t it supposedly an economic congress for Malaysians.

 

Statistics reveals that the majority of non-Muslims voted and supported Pakatan Harapan, the coalition led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, due to the simmering turmoil and unhappiness in the nation and hoped for a meaningful reformation of fundamental rights, economy, education, health and social welfare development.

However, till today, on this 75th commemorative day of World Human Rights Day, we Malaysians are still fighting an unresolved battle against racism, fanaticism, extremism, discriminations and double standard policies targeting the minorities in this nation. 

Take for instance the more recent incidents that impact and relate to religious persecution:

1. At the National Tamil Language Carnival on Nov 23 2023, participants were barred from reciting Tamil hymns to mark the start of the programme. Indian participants were not allowed to sing Kadavul Valthu (Praises to God) and Tamil Valthu (Praises to the Tamil Language) during the event which was held in a hotel in Kepala Batas. The carnival was a Tamil programme, that was organized to celebrate the advent and flourishing of the Tamil language over generations and restricting the two Tamil hymns was a gross and brazen infringement of participants' rights.

2. The refusal by TV Sarawak and the state’s UNIFOR (Unit for Other Religions in Premier Department) to play O Holy Night heralding the birth of Jesus Christ in a Christmas programme on Dec 3, 2023 at Padang Merdeka has shocked many non-Muslims (and even right minded moderate Muslims) throughout the country. It seems this rejection was due to religious elements as well as owing to the protocol from the Film Censorship Board. It is yet another case which is utterly ludicrous and discriminating. The matter was raised vigorously by the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) and only after the Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg intervened and ordered that the hymn O Holy Night should be allowed did the matter get resolved.

3.  The controversial dismissal of a non-Muslim, non-Malay restaurant worker in the federal capital city, Bukit Bintang, simply because he wore a chain with a small crucifix pendant – an artifact that is commonly worn by Christians.

4. Cases related to unilateral, unethical and unlawful religious conversions can be heard almost every month, endlessly year after year. It has caused family members, spouses and children to become victims as many families are broken up in the process. Some of these cases are still actively on-going in courts waiting indefinitely for a just, fair closure.

The time for Human Rights to anchor is now or never.

For the past three years GHRF (Global Human Rights Foundation) has been voicing out on matters concerning the violation of human rights especially towards those affecting the non-Muslims and the minorities in this nation. Police reports and memorandums were also handed over to the relevant ministries and authorities for redress but over hopes and efforts were in vain.

NGOs and human rights activists are condemned and criticized and even branded as a security threat by politicians, whenever matters of public concern are raised involving the violation of rights and injustices inflicted owing to policies, statements and actions. 

GHRF registers its greatest disappointment towards the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). Being a legitimate body established under the Malaysian Parliament in 1999, SUHAKAM has painfully failed to address all the critical issues pertaining to human rights and violations towards the minorities. Public opinion holds SUHAKAM as totally inefficient and inactive in speaking up for the minorities and the injustice shown as well as the double standard policies impacting non-Muslims and non-Malays in the country. For years over decades now, they were merely being a puppet to the government given the fact that they are politically appointed representatives.

Today NGOs and netizens are deeply concerned and increasingly disturbed over the level of racial and religious intolerance in the country, which is morphing into a threat to national unity and harmony. It is a widely held perception that the racial divisions in the Malaysian society is drifting further and faster and it cannot continue to be ignored if we regard patriotism as a vital ingredient for national peace and progress.  

  

GHRF currently has three active cases pending in the courts with regards to inflammatory speeches and postings in the public domain insulting and deriding non-Islamic religions in the country. It has always been either, the NGOs or the public who have to individually or privately seek justice as the law enforcement agencies and authorities who are supposed to act on the matter without prejudice or bias seem to be operating on double standards.

GHRF has called on the Government of Malaysia to table a Racial and Religious Hatred Bill in Parliament, which would ensure that those making any statements deemed as hate speech directed at a particular race or religion will be prosecuted. GHRF has also requested for the Government to set in place an independent body to oversee conversions into Islam, and for strict laws and guidelines to be drafted and enforced to avoid such conversions being done covertly, coercively and in a partial manner favoring the converted against the unconverted. 

GHRF’s objective is to uphold the Malaysian Constitution, the Principles of Rukun Negara, Parliamentary Democracy, Rule of Law and equality without discriminations or hints of apartheid. Towards this end GHRF deems that the enforcing and abiding by the 30 Articles as enshrined in UDHR 1948 is non-negotiable.#

Peter John Jaban is Deputy President of

Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF)

016860527

USLA supports call for return of English medium schools

TUARAN: The United Sabah Lotud Association (USLA) full-heartedly supports the call made by former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Rahman Dahlan, for the return of English medium schools.

USLA's president, Datuk Raymond Tombung, in a statement said it’s high time the long-standing issue is seriously addressed by the state and federal governments in view of the substantial decline in English mastery among Malaysians since the abandonment of the medium in schools in the 1970s.

“Poor English mastery is even reflected embarrassingly among political leaders, giving Malaysia a poor image at the international level,” Raymond said. “Hence, this situation should have long awakened the federal government into taking drastic action to reverse the trend.”

Raymond, who is also an Advisor to StarSabah, is also worried for the Gen-Ys of the natives who are now realising the critical importance of the English language and struggling to master it but having no proper avenue to hone their English-speaking skill.

“Because of this lack of proper learning source they are now speaking in broken English with cringy topsy-turvy grammar, losing out to non-natives in the job market and unable to continue their tertiary education abroad,” he pointed out. “Only those whose parents can afford to send their children to private schools are able to proceed to go to universities abroad.”

“I would urge all native NGOs to wake up to this need and fight loudly for the return of English medium schools for the sake of out Gen-Ys. We need to veer off from the current obsessive focus on cultural activities and look forward into the future with academic, intellectual and socioeconomic development. There is a need for balance between cultural preservation and education in the new age which is fast being dominated by new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

“We need to fully recognise that English as the world’s lingua franca is the vehicle to socioeconomic progress to move the natives upward to the level of being world citizens and leaders,” he said. “What we need now is a high-powered collective pressure from the native NGOs to call for the state and federal governments for the return of English medium schools. Such a change would benefit us meaningfully in the long run and would hopefully turn Sabah into a respected English-speaking state.

“Let us in one voice turn this legitimate desire into a strong and consistent political demand from our leaders,” he said.

*USLA sokong seruan Dahlan untuk kembalikan medium Inggeris.*

TUARAN: Persatuan Lotud Sabah Bersatu (USLA) memberikan sokongan penuh gesaan menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Rahman Dahlan agar dikembalikan sekolah medium bahasa Inggeris.

Presiden USLA, Datuk Raymond Tombung, dalam satu kenyataan berkata sudah sampai masanya isu lama ini diambil perhatian serius oleh kerajaan negeri dan persekutuan memandangkan penurunan ketara dalam penguasaan bahasa Inggeris di kalangan rakyat Malaysia sejak pengabaian penggunaan bahasa ini di sekolah-sekolah sejak tahun 1970-an.

"Kurangnya penguasaan bahasa Inggeris turut tercermin secara memalukan di kalangan pemimpin politik, yang memberi imej buruk kepada Malaysia di peringkat antarabangsa," kata Raymond. "Oleh itu, keadaan ini sepatutnya sudah lama menjadi kebimbangan kerajaan persekutuan untuk mengambil tindakan drastik untuk menebalikkan trend ini."

Raymond, yang juga seorang Penasihat kepada StarSabah, merasa bimbang mengenai keadaan generasi muda pribumi yang kini sedar akan kepentingan kritikal bahasa Inggeris tetapi menghadapi kesukaran untuk menguasainya kerana tidak ada sumber pembelajaran yang betul untuk meningkatkan kemahiran mereka bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris.

"Kerana kekurangan sumber pembelajaran yang betul, mereka kini bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris yang tidak sempunra dengan nahu yang menyedihkan. Maka mereka ketinggalan dalam pasaran kerja berbanding mereka yang bukanpribumi dan tidak mampu untuk meneruskan pendidikan tinggi di luar negara," katanya. "Hanya mereka yang ibubapa mereka mampu menghantar mereka ke sekolah swasta dpat melanjutkan pengajian ke universiti di luar negara."

"Saya menggesa semua NGO asal agar bangkit keada keperluan ini dan berjuang dengan lantang untuk pengembalian sekolah bermedium bahasa Inggeris demi kepentingan generasi muda pribumi. Kita perlu berpaling daripada terlalu fokus kepada aktiviti kebudayaan dan melihat ke hadapan ke arah pembangunan akademik, intelektual, dan sosioekonomi. Kita perlu memperseimbangkan usaha antara pemuliharaan budaya dan pendidikan dalam zaman baru yang semakin dikuasai oleh sains dan teknologi lebih-lebih dengan timbulnya kecerdasan buatan atau artificial intelligence (AI).

"Kita perlu mengakui sepenuhnya bahawa bahasa Inggeris sebagai lingua franka dunia adalah kenderaan kepada kemajuan sosioekonomi untuk memajukan pribumi ke tahap menjadi warga dan pemimpin dunia," katanya. "Apa yang kita perlukan sekarang adalah tekanan kolektif yang berkesan dari para NGO pribumi untuk meminta kerajaan negeri dan persekutuan agar segera dikembalikan sekolah medium bahasa Inggeris. Perubahan seperti ini akan memberi faedah yang bermakna jangka panjang dan diharapkan akan mengubah Sabah menjadi sebuah negeri bertutur bahasa Inggeris yang dihormati.

"Marilah kita bersuara bersama-sama demi mengubah impian yang cukup berasas ini menjadi tuntutan politik yang kukuh dan konsisten kepada para pemimpin kita," katanya.

NGOs say Prof James Chin's "10-Point Agreement" Reflects Failure of the Federation to Honour MA63

Prof James Chin proposed a "10-Point Agreement".

NGOs do not see any future for Sabah & Sarawak to remain in Malaysia

3rd December 2023

This is a joint statement by Sabah, Sarawak NGOs - namely Borneo Plight in Malaysia Foundation (Bopimafo), Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand (SSRANZ), Saya Anak Sarawak (SAS) and Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK):

Mssrs Daniel John Jambun, Robert Pei and Peter John Jaban, the respective presidents of the 3 NGOs and PBK President Voon Lee Shan have issued a joint statement commenting on Professor James Chin’s “10-point Agreement” calling for “re-affirmation” of Sabah and Sarawak secular and pluralist rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) on the occasion of the 60 anniversary of the shaky federation.

“Chin’s 10-point agreement calls for the dream and promise of the Federation of Malaysia for the people of Sabah and Sarawak to be fulfilled without delay; reaffirm Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with Malaya in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia; and reaffirm the unique status of the Borneo states under Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution, distinct from the 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia, as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement of 1963.

It also seeks to reaffirm that Sabah and Sarawak each possess exclusive territorial rights over the resources that are within their own territorial boundaries; reaffirm that every community in Sabah and Sarawak has the right to their distinct unique cultures and ceremonial expression, identity and language; reaffirm that Sabah and Sarawak as secular states, multi-religious society as promised by our forefathers; and reaffirm that all Sabahans and Sarawakians are equal citizens, and reject all forms of racism, religious intolerance, and supremacist ideology.” (quote: Borneo Post 30/11/23)

They noted that the Professor had summed up the widespread dissatisfaction of the people with the multiple and continuing violations of their fundamental MA63 rights by the Malaysian Federal government over 60 years. These have remained unfulfilled “dreams” and illusions.

They include the illegal alteration of the MA63 secular, pluralist and multicultural concept of Malaysia, Borneonisation, autonomous self-government, religious freedom, denial of citizenship and failure to develop and advance Sabah and Sarawak as agreed. This is starkly heightened by the lopsided economic development whereby Malaya has been developed with Sabah and Sarawak resources particularly oil and gas, while they have been left backward and impoverished with little progress even in basic structures and amenities.

The unhappiness recently flared up over the TV Sarawak’s Christmas Carol programme which rejected the Association of Churches in Sarawak’s (ACA) request to include the song “O Holy Night” in the programme because of official policy excluding “religious elements”. The ACA declined to join the celebration and issued a statement strongly criticising the censorship and asserting the religious freedom and secular nature of Sarawak society. This received popular support throughout Sarawak and the TV station management quickly backed down on the exclusion of the song.

In Sabah, there is a similar dissatisfaction over the failure to honour MA63 founding terms such as the MA63 stipulated payment of (Art 121D) 40% entitlement to annual tax revenue among many other issues especially lack of development, poverty and the “illegals” issue.

The NGOs and PBK presidents said, however, that it is doubtful that the re-affirmation would have any impact on the Malayans who have evaded honouring the MA63 for 60 years as exemplified by the denial of Sabah’s MA63 40% entitlement.

They said that the concept of a secular, pluralist and multicultural political system was one of several key basic or foundational terms for Sabah and Sarawak to give up real independence for Malaysia. However, this concept has since the implementation of the New Economic Policy in 1971 been altered and replaced with an institutionalised race religion supremacist (Ketuanan Melayu) apartheid.

Further, it is unlikely that even if the Unity government agreed with the 10 Points, it would be able to gain any support from the Opposition which is made up of committed race religion fundamentalists sworn to dismantle the secular concept and replace Malaysia as an Iranian or Afghanistan style Islamic Caliphate and Constitution. The same people have declared that “Malaysia belonged to the Malays”.

Mr Voon the PBK president said that it was ironic the Professor had previously criticised PBK for seeking legal advice from a foreign lawyer who declared that Malaysia was a fraud. 

He said that the professor's 10-point call for re-affirmation of Sabah Sarawak rights in reality confirmed that Malaysia was created with promises which never fulfilled or have been removed and therefore were misleading and a fraud. 

He cited the British colonial office as having commented with concern in 1963 that the Malayans' promise that SS would have "accelerated development" in Malaysia was a "false prospectus". 

Mr Voon who filed a suit in the High Court of Borneo in 2021 to declare MA63 invalid, said the process of making MA63 was riddled with illegalities and deceit. 

Legal analysis of the making of MA63 has proven that it was, in fact, a null and void agreement from the beginning. This was because Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak were still British-controlled colonies and not sovereign states with the legal capacity or competence to make international agreements. This view is supported by the International Court of Justice decision in the Chagos case 2019 and affirmed by the Mauritius vs. Maldives case iin 2021.

If MA63 was a validly made international treaty, it would have been terminated under International law, by the multiple violations of foundational and basic terms of the agreement and rendered it no longer binding. Either way, Sabah and Sarawak have the opportunity to seek independence which would free them to determine their own political destiny and social and economic development without foreign control.

The joint statement pointed out that the 20 and 18 Points were not binding agreements but just an expression of the people's desired terms for the federation. They said that there is no evidence of the agreements being signed with the UK or Malayan governments. According to the British colonial officials, the Sarawak 18 Points were never provided to them. They noted some of Sabah's Points like the "No State religion" stipulation was included in the Federal Constitution.

They questioned whether it was realistic to re-affirm the unfulfilled promises and prolong a union without meaning and benefit when it is so obvious that the agreed objectives of MA63 were never fulfilled but in fact, abandoned for 60 years. They said Sabah and Sarawak should look at the alternative solution of seeking an exit from the failed union.

They called on the respective Sabah and Sarawak state governments to seek a review of SS's position in Malaysia after the PAS party repeatedly rejected the concept of Malaysia as a secular country and the federation's failure to honour what was promised. It is widely anticipated that the PAS fundamentalist party will implement its Islamic Caliphate when it wins power and controls the Malaysian Parliament in a couple of elections time. The NGOs said the review of MA63 (if valid) would be timely and it was essential since it has already long been terminated by multiple breaches of fundamental terms for federation.

Sabah and Sarawak must seek lawful and peaceful means to Decolonise itself and work towards sovereign Independent nations. 

End of Statement  

Signed by 

Daniel John Jambun  Bopimafo President 

Robert Pei SSRANZ President

Peter John Jaban SAS founder

Voon Lee Shan PBK President

3 December 2023