More important to recognise Sabah, Sarawak as co-founders of Malaysia — Rafizi

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Rafizi Ramli

KOTA KINABALU: PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli is of the opinion that recognising Sabah and Sarawak as co-founders of Malaysia is more important than appointing deputy prime ministers from the two states as promised by the party.

Rafizi who is vying for the PKR deputy president post stressed that the party’s central leadership has to ensure that it will take a more drastic approach in assisting Sabah to get Putrajaya to respect Sabah’s position as one of three components and not one of 14 states in Malaysia.

Speaking to Sabah PKR members during a fund raising event here on Saturday night, Rafizi however pointed out that for that to happen, people in Peninsular Malaysia must accept the historical fact that Sabah and Sarawak are founders of Malaysia.

The recognition, he pointed out, has to come from every side of the equation – it cannot be seen as a demand by Sabahans or Sarawakians. It has to be seen that this is a recognition (accorded) with open arms out of sincerity and also fairness.

“That we must accord the right position for Sabah and Sarawak as components of the federation of Malaysia, not just a state and that process has to happen soon. I have no qualms from among the leadership of PKR to assert that narrative because I don’t see any wrong with it.

“Of course there will be some consternation in the beginning because people feel the last 40 years, the perception in Peninsular especially, that Sabah and Sarawak are part of 14 states.

“It is not easy to change that perception overnight but we have to start putting a different narrative and that has to come equally from senior leadership of Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.

Rafizi said it was best to get this narrative accepted with open arms by everyone now rather than later.

“And that is a very clear message from PKR Sabah and that is the message I am willing to take back to the leadership in Peninsular Malaysia and it is a responsibility that all of us have to carry not just because we want votes from Sabah but it is actually part and parcel of our commitment to a ‘new Malaysia’ which we have fought for all this while,” he said.

He also pointed out that there are many ways of putting the right narrative out especially to the younger generation and that in the long run there is a need to ensure the right context of the understanding of the country’s history. That issue is not just unique to the understanding of the formation of Malaysia, but it also transcends all other issues in terms of race relations and independence among others, Rafizi said.

But as with anything else in this country, it all begins with the right political leadership and it has to be seen that the country’s leaders are serious and committed to putting Sabah and Sarawak in the rightful context as one of the founders of the Malaysian Federation.

“This is something that does not have to wait – it is something that can be done now. The narrative has to start changing now and that is something that I think I feel quite strongly as well because it is a low hanging fruit and is something that we can do quite readily without having to change much.

“Accepting that Sabah and Sarawak as two of the founders of the Malaysian Federation is something that can be done as a matter of political principle and that can happen very quickly. We just need more political leadership from Peninsular Malaysia to keep saying it and keep focusing on it,” he said.