KOTA KINABALU: United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organization (UPKO) deputy president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing yesterday stressed that it is important to ponder why after 50 years of independence, Sabahans fall back to invoke the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the 20 Points memorandum drafted, submitted and agreed by the founding fathers.
The Tuaran Member of Parliament is of the opinion that the need to argue as to whether the 20 Points are valid or invalid should not arise as the document is the basis, together with the Malaysia Agreement, on which this nation was formed.
He asaid Sabah Unmo deputy liaison chief Datuk Salleh Said Keruak should not have said or even mentioned that the memorandum is invalid at this time.
Bumburing, who is also Angkatan Amanah Merdeka deputy president and Sabah Amanah chairman, said: “To say that the document is not valid is tantamount to saying that the formation of Malaysia was not formed on a valid documented agreement.
“I totally disagree with the statement that by invoking the 20 Points or the issue of raising it up is politicizing the 20 Points.”
To him, the rakyat in general, be they opposition supporters or those from the government side in Sabah and Sarawak have every right to invoke or to raise it in light of the present social and economic condition and wellbeing of the people in the two states within the federation.
“The people now have come of age and are more fully aware and articulate on their rights, and we should accord them their full rights. My stand on this matter is that this is part of a process of achieving nationhood maturity.
“The people feel that some aspects of the 20 Points, whether they are incorporated into the constitution or not, have not been given their due attention and therefore not properly and politically addressed,” he said.
According to Bumburing, the raising of the issue for public attention is not an absolute domain of those in the opposition front.
He said any citizen who seek to struggle for a fair Malaysia has every right to raise this issue in any platform or through any channel, be it political in nature or otherwise.
“What the people want is to draw the attention of the government of the day to certain matters and issues and requesting for a fair redress.
“The formation of Angkatan Amanah Merdeka is basically to struggle for a just Malaysia in accordance with the promise as proclaimed by the founding fathers of the nation.
“To quote the wise words of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the formula for a just and peaceful nation is indeed very basic and simple. Among other thinds he have said: ‘If we really want to come together as a family and live under one roof called Malaysia, we must be sincere with one another – Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayak, Kadazan, Dusun and others; Muslims, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian etc. If we are sincere, then we cannot say anything that would hurt one another. We must always be there to help one another,’” he said.
Bumburing said Amanah stands together with those who struggle to promote a just and equitable country.
“If our nation should achieve a developed status by 2020, it would be less meaningful if the wealth is not distributed equally among the rakyat,” he said.
Towards this end, he said some communities feel that they have not been given due treatment as an equal citizen of the nation.
One of the most important promises of independence, Bumburing stressed, is to protect and safe-guard the sovereignty of the State of Sabah within the Federation.
However, today Sabah’s demographic landscape is swarmed with illegal immigrants, many of whom are now in possession of MyKad, he claimed.
This problem has been here for such a long time and the Federal Government has not done enough to address or solve this issue, he claimed.
He said the call for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the population explosion in Sabah in the last decade and to establish the truth behind the “Project IC” has been and is in the heart and mind of the majority of Sabahans.
“However, disappointingly the announcement of the formation of the said RCI is yet forthcoming.
“I therefore call upon every Malaysian in Sabah to stand united to ensure that the objective and the spirit of the 20 Points must be preserved as an everlasting reference for the building of our nation.
“The basis for a strong nation is the unity of its citizens. Unity, in the true sense of the word, will only be achieved if the people have a strong sense of belonging to the country and be under a fair and just policy.
“I personally invite every Sabahan to join me this Sunday, June 3, 2pm at Kian Kok School Hall for the official launch of Amanah Sabah,” Bumburing said.