Dr James Masing
KUCHING: Sarawak’s key formula as a model state in Malaysia is the high level of tolerance among its people and at the same time due to the absence of Umno in administering the State, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.
He said the absence of Umno from Sarawak plus state leaders’ ability to maintain the intricate fabric of its social structure has made it a model of 1Malaysia which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has been promoting.
“Sarawak’s social structures are in such a way that allows us to live in peace with each other. Because of this we will not allow Malaya’s social, culture and political culture to encroach into Sarawak.
“This has been our work for years. So why do we want to change by bringing foreign culture from Malaya to our state? Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud was correct in saying no to Umno coming to Sarawak,” Masing told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
Masing who is an anthropologist by training also urged social scientists from Peninsular Malaysia to learn from Sarawak on how more than 27 different ethnic groups have managed to live in peace and harmony.
“If others want to know about us, then come and learn from us in Sarawak. But don’t preach to us how to live in peace or how to administer our state,” added the PRS president.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the formula of success for the people of Sarawak being able to live in peace and harmony has been the essence of the State leadership’s policy and top priority.
“This has been the policy of our leaders. Our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has emphasised this policy to ensure that there is continuous understanding among the people living in the state,” said Uggah.
Uggah, who is PBB senior vice-president stressed that the other reason for Sarawak’s success in maintaining peace and harmony was because of the deep understanding and high level of tolerance among its people of many races and religions.
Meanwhile, former PBB deputy information chief and Kota Samarahan Walikota Dato Peter Minos said Sarawak is definitely the most peaceful place in Malaysia.
“Sarawakians are naturally tolerant and accept each other pretty well and do not go to extremes in any issue related to race and religion. Besides we have a chief minister who is open minded and treats all races fairly and looks after Sarawak well,” he said.
He stressed that situations in the peninsula can be improved if the leaders there are good to all races and do not discriminate.
“The leaders must be firm in handling any extremist tendency. If extremists of any persuasion can go free and do their acts with impunity then Zaid may be right- there will be problems and will very much depend on the top leaders who should do what is good for the people and take action against anyone who seeks to create inter-racial or inter-religious troubles,” added Minos.
Masing, Uggah and Minos were commenting on former Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s recent article on “Madness in Malaysia” in which he shared his wonderful experience while visiting Sarawak.
“I have no wish to celebrate or make any life-changing resolution, except to tell you a story about how wonderful Sarawak is. Sinatra croons about New York—the city that never sleeps—while I would say that Sarawak is the place to be in the future when Peninsular Malaysia burns through its own folly,” said Zaid.
He reiterated that the main reason why Sarawak is a model State is because it has been administered by local parties and not Umno.
“Sarawak will not insulate us totally from everything but it will provide some kind of protection from the madness found in the Peninsula. In Sarawak, Malaysians will be quite safe from racist thugs whose idea of “jihad” is to fight over shopping malls and enforce khalwat laws. In short, Sarawakian leaders can provide us with some relief from the toxic and deleterious politics of Putrajaya,” he said.
Zaid also emphasised that Sarawak is potentially the best place to live in if the people want to escape from the misfortune that will sweep Peninsular Malaysia in the years to come.
“The school system and even public administration will be better with the use of English—when your English is good, you tend to know more about the world,” he added.
He stressed that the Islamisation of the state will be impossible because Umno is not in play here, and Malays in Sarawak will be safe without Umno.
“The current chief minister is a practical man who is concerned about poverty and who has made some sensible decisions for the people. Only yesterday he challenged the media to help expose corruption and injustice in society,” added Zaid.