I'm going to say why I don't really care about what Sarawak wants. And it's not really because I'm a Peninsula Malaysian, some rational Sarawakians agree with me and I've shared it. But I'll explain it anyway.
If Sarawak fails to get independence, well, they fail.
If Sarawak succeeds, let's predict the future by analysing what we have now
One thing people must realise is that with greater autonomy there comes a greater responsibility.
Their government has received resounding victory and enormous support from the people, but after 50 years of ruling what have they done? Have they fought back what was stolen? They always chant they will, but results are never produced. Is that a good sign of a good governance?
They have even started changing history - Sarawak was never granted independence in July 22, 1963. Even The Borneo Post, the local Sarawak paper has here reported on that matter. Sarawak was granted self-ruling and self-governance by the British but the British was still the ruler. It means Sarawak did not gain independence because the British presence was still there. The granting of self-governance was simply because Sarawak agreed to form Malaysia with the then-Malaya, and not because Sarawak is capable of standing independently. Sarawak was still under threat from the Communist and the grant was simply to allow Sarawak to prepare for an actual independence in September 16, 1963. A fact is a fact, your decision to not accept it does not render it invalid.
Sarawak has total autonomy over the state's immigration, land usage, labour and timber industry, among the examples. And the results?
- The state immigration so far is good at expelling Peninsula-based politicians who are majority from the Opposition, but illegal labours and foreigners from Indonesia, and even North Korea, enter almost without hindrance. Need I elaborate on the consequences? If you are now a Sarawakian, how safe do you feel parking your car in an unsupervised area? Among the examples to show.
- Native lands have been largely converted for industrial and road building purpose. Dayak groups have voiced concerns but what have transpired?
- Sarawak has lost so much on their timber industry because of the failure to regulate the industry, resulting in Sarawak almost being blacklisted by the international market a few years ago.
And most importantly, with the rich timber industry, what have the people enjoyed? 50 years later now and they still lag behind West Malaysians with little timber to produce.
Sarawak has a vast land area. With population of less than 3 million,
- and with such large land borders with Kalimantan and long sea borders on the South China Sea with China claiming the sea is theirs and potentially robbing all their oil from their shores, how is Sarawak going to protect their borders and fight with a world power on international ground? With 3 million people and population density of less than 1, and majority of places horribly underdeveloped, just, seriously, how?
- some people have voiced that with the regain of total oil royalty, Sarawak can be rich and stand strong and even surpass West Malaysia in economy. For those who make this kind of blatant ignorant comment, please be aware that a total oil-dependent country is risky and will not be able to go far. The price of oil depends on market value, not by the seller. When a barrel of oil plummeted from USD100 to below USD40, look at what happened to the Middle Eastern countries or the Latin American countries. Just take Venezuela for example.Venezuela has totally bankrupted, working days reduced, time brought forward half an hour to save electricity consumption. Go google it for more information yourself. Brunei is spared only because their money is pegged with Singapore dollar. The idea of gaining income entirely on oil is not safe and should be avoided because the risk of insolvency is a definite and irreversible. What matters is time. And your politicians are not stupid enough to fail to see that. That, I know.
- Coming to that, I'm sure your government is not stupid enough to wish to depend entirely on oil, so what happens is that the economy of Sarawak must be propelled and brought higher than it current stands. But with population of 3 million and much more responsibility due to independence and detachment from KL, it would produce a severe deficit of labour and man force. The direct consequence must be that labour forces must be brought in to fill the void and prepare Sarawak to stand strong. Singapore, a tiny nation that has no land border, brings in the number of labours almost equal the number of its population and yet it still is expanding and bringing in labours despite reaching 5 million population, because Singapore understands 5 million is not enough, even though they're dangerously stretching their limits. Sarawak, with such vast land, and population of less than 3 million, must bring in a few times higher than Singapore's figure in order to achieve self-sustenance. The consequence? There will be a significant demographic shift. Land usage will increase. Sarawakians, like those in Dubai, risk being the minority in a city that has to stand high, or be left behind. In short, the current relaxing, peaceful lifestyle Sarawakians enjoy will be completely buried and will be replaced with a busy and eventful lifestyle and that, taking lessons from every big cities in the world, comes with the potential of disruption and social disturbance, which Sarawak claims to have experienced none and are proud of it. I don't think it is bad, but I know Sarawakians dislike it. To risk becoming like KL, or worse than KL, a city they want to detach from, must have hurt. Sarawak can be really successful when there's good management and resources, and may surpass West Malaysia, I admit. But look at the price you need to pay.
In short, Sarawak still fails, because they will lose what they have now and become what they hate.
And this is why I don't care what the outcome is. In either direction the result swings, there will be a change the people despise. And neither tells me it's worth the change.
And for those who want to silence us by purporting Malaysia Agreement 63 as the weapon, let me just attach the original agreement here so that you can actually read it instead of claiming to have read it but went on to display why you haven't.
And for Sarawakians who seem to insist that Sarawak is not a state but is an equal partner with the then-Malaya to form Malaysia, please also read the Malaysia Agreement attached above and tell me what the title of the agreement yells, and how it describes the federation and especially what it says in page 13, part II. Is Sarawak a state, or an equal partner? And there's a subpart that screams "The Constitution of the State of Sarawak". So is Sarawak a state?
A simple summary of the Malaysia Agreement has been basically given in the 20-point-agreement (18 for Sarawak) incorporated in the Cobbold Commission and now the Federal Constitution. I so far can't find an original copy but let me attach the list here.
Point number 7 clearly states that "there should be no secession from the Federation". Ambiguity exists here, obviously, due to the choice of word "should". But if "should" shall remain the point of controversy, virtually all 18-point agreement can be considered invalid and non-binding because almost all of them employ the word "should". By that logic Sarawak, by law, could have no autonomy in every regards spelt out in the agreements. In essence, your push for more autonomy hinging on the word "should" may backfire.
SUMMARY
If Sarawak wishes to get more autonomy, please fight for it. I will wish you well.
But I'll warn you to think hard on what you wish for. I wish you guys to get your rightful rights, but the question is, are you sure you are ready?
Are you sure you are fully aware of what would happen?
Are you sure you are fully aware of the consequence of your actions?
And finally, are you sure you can handle them? Because from what I see now, you are far from prepared.
Advice
The one thing Sarawakians continuously fail to realise is that their purported rights are repeatedly encroached by the federal government, not West Malaysians. West Malaysians and Sarawakians have not got along well recently, but West Malaysians generally treated Sarawakians with distinct nonchalance but Sarawakians recriprocated with extreme hatred and anger that stems from misunderstandings. You claim that your rights have been snatched, your oil has been stolen. But who did it? It's the federal government. Not the public. And who gave the federal government that power? Go see your latest state election.
You blame them for snatching your rights and stealing your oil, yet you still voted for them. You literally gave them the power to do what they want with what you have, and then you complain what they have done to you. Do you realise how stupid you would sound if you complain of this? Open the door widely and deliberately invite the robbers in then cry out loud that robbers rob you makes you stupid and silly and you will not ever be able to generate sympathies for your deliberate actions. You voted for them, it's your decision hence it's your responsibility. Don't blame it on us. And this is why the West Malaysians simply never care of your predicament - it's your decision. If you are truly angry, vote them out. The purpose of voting for an opposition is to send a fiercer representation to the Parliament to voice your disappointment. It's obvious why you need to vote for the opposition - 50 years ago, what have your current government done? They have glaringly failed, but you are generous enough to let them snatch your rights.
The West Malaysians have their own issues to deal with. KL has become an influential financial city, an alpha city that sits highly on the world. KL has contributed so much for Malaysia, but what have we got in return? Increased toll rates. Increased cost of living, among others. We have our own issues to deal with. You never wanted to care for us, don't expect us to care for you. If you do not want to work as a team, don't expect anything from your teammates. And we know that, but do you?
Are you sure you are fully aware of what would happen?
Are you sure you are fully aware of the consequence of your actions?
And finally, are you sure you can handle them? Because from what I see now, you are far from prepared.
Advice
The one thing Sarawakians continuously fail to realise is that their purported rights are repeatedly encroached by the federal government, not West Malaysians. West Malaysians and Sarawakians have not got along well recently, but West Malaysians generally treated Sarawakians with distinct nonchalance but Sarawakians recriprocated with extreme hatred and anger that stems from misunderstandings. You claim that your rights have been snatched, your oil has been stolen. But who did it? It's the federal government. Not the public. And who gave the federal government that power? Go see your latest state election.
You blame them for snatching your rights and stealing your oil, yet you still voted for them. You literally gave them the power to do what they want with what you have, and then you complain what they have done to you. Do you realise how stupid you would sound if you complain of this? Open the door widely and deliberately invite the robbers in then cry out loud that robbers rob you makes you stupid and silly and you will not ever be able to generate sympathies for your deliberate actions. You voted for them, it's your decision hence it's your responsibility. Don't blame it on us. And this is why the West Malaysians simply never care of your predicament - it's your decision. If you are truly angry, vote them out. The purpose of voting for an opposition is to send a fiercer representation to the Parliament to voice your disappointment. It's obvious why you need to vote for the opposition - 50 years ago, what have your current government done? They have glaringly failed, but you are generous enough to let them snatch your rights.
The West Malaysians have their own issues to deal with. KL has become an influential financial city, an alpha city that sits highly on the world. KL has contributed so much for Malaysia, but what have we got in return? Increased toll rates. Increased cost of living, among others. We have our own issues to deal with. You never wanted to care for us, don't expect us to care for you. If you do not want to work as a team, don't expect anything from your teammates. And we know that, but do you?
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