DO speaks up on oath stone

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KENINGAU: District Officer (DO) Haji Yusof Haji Osman has expressed regret on the wild allegations made against him over the removal of actual words from the Oath Stone plaque.

Describing the claims as overreaching and unnecessary, Yusop told The Borneo Post yesterday that the people of Keningau needed to know the history and not make arbitrary accusations in relation to the Oath Stone.

Yusop said he had been accused of removing the actual words ‘Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin’ (Malaysian Government Guarantee), which were omitted since 1975, when the stone was removed from its original place.

“If the policy is followed, I was the responsible District Officer who directed the museum to add the words, ‘Malaysian government Guarantee’ on the Oath Stone plaque during the meeting of the Malaysia Day celebration to commemorate the Oath Stone and not as alleged by members of the Facebook page ‘Tulun Sabah’.

“They should ask the leader of the Kadazandusun and Murut such as Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Alfred Ellron Angin, if it is true that the present DO is a traitor or a strong fighter defending the Oath Stone,” he said.

Yusop warned that ridicule and death threats under Section 506 of the Penal Code were punishable with a jail term of up to seven years or a fine, or both.

He also explained that the main entrance gates of government buildings were locked as a security measure on weekends and public holidays to safeguard documents and government property in the district secretariat area.

“This includes vehicles, garage buildings and office landscape in addition to office wiring systems,” he told The Borneo Post.

On the Oath Stone Memorial, he said that it happened to be in the yard of the District Secretariat and should be under the control of the museum.

He pointed out that the (government) policy does not allow any opposition parties to enter into the compound of government offices for rallies and special events which have never been allowed since time immemorial.

“But for the purpose of visiting the Oath Stone only, it can be done during office hours on Monday to Friday except public holidays.

“On September 16, Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan seeking to hold the ceremony on the Oath Stone was not a visit, and not approved for public holidays and the application was made under STAR Party, which is not encouraged to enter the compound of government buildings,” he said.

Yusop, however, said that the district office had approved the official ceremony commemorating the Oath Stone on September 15, with the consent of all the heads of custom in Keningau and it went well after it was officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup.

About the presence of police to prevent Jeffrey’s assembly, he said that was the authority of the Royal Malaysian Police and not on the order of the District Officer.

“Apart from that Jeffrey also had no approval permit from the police to have a peaceful rally on September 16,” he said.