(From left) Abang Johari browses through the book penned by Leigh as Rashidah looks on.
KUCHING: Sarawak will continue to be ruled under democracy and its stand as a territory equal to those involved in the formation of Malaysia must be respected by other partners.
In pointing this out, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said whenever grouses were raised over issues concerning Sarawak, it did not mean that Sarawak wanted to get out of the federation.
“All Sarawak leaders must take note that the rights of each territory must be respected and we must always be conscious of our rights, especially in the context of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the spirit of Malaysia.
“If one member of the ‘family’ is not happy, the whole family is affected – if everyone wants Malaysia to be happy, all members of the federation must be looked after,” he said at the launch of a book at Pustaka Negeri here yesterday.
The book, entitled ‘Deals, Datus and Dayaks: Sarawak and Brunei in the Making of Malaysia’, was authored by Prof Michael Leigh.
On a related matter, Abang Johari believed that Sarawakian parliamentarian back in 1974 were forced to vote for the Petroleum Development Act (PDA) due to ‘the whip, which was applied upon them’.
“I believe that our leaders (back then) had to comply – they might have been threatened by federal leaders of being kicked out from the (Barisan Nasional) coalition then,” he said, adding that he is still studying the matter through the Hansard and records of the Parliament.
On another subject, Abang Johari drew the attention on Sarawak resources by citing the example of Sabah, which was once ruled by the North Borneo East India Company.
“Though it was more or less similar to the government system, the administration and structure was not the same. At the same time, we need to remember that the people cannot let a company to manage our resources.
“We do not want a modern day company to rule Sarawak. Yes, there are certain quarters who say that they have exclusive rights over resources all over Sarawak. That one, we will oppose,” he said, referring the word ‘resources’ to ‘Sarawak’s oil and gas’.
“A company or corporate entity cannot take whatever the state has and we will make sure good governance is there. Respect the voice of the people and the democratic system,” he stressed.
On the book, Abang Johari regarded its content as ‘useful’, especially for those wanting to take a look back at the history of Sarawak and Malysia.
“With this kind of resources available, I believe that we can have a good direction for the future,” he added.
Meanwhile in his speech, Leigh talked about the ‘five myths of Sarawak’ – backing these up with his claims.
According to him, these myths include the formation of Malaysia being the idea of the nation’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the people of Sarawak overwhelmingly supporting Sarawak to form Malaysia, and Sarawak gaining its independence on July 22, 1963.
Leigh also talked about the myths on the formation of Malaysia having the support of the international community and growing from strength to strength, and another about the Constitution of Malaysia being amended to render Sarawak and Sabah simply as ‘two out of 13 Malaysian states’ against the will of Sarawak.
His latest book recounts the story of Malaysia’s formation and its early struggles for survival.
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak board of management chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hamid Bugo and Pustaka Negeri chief executive officer Rashidah Bolhassan were also present at the launch.