Liew
KOTA KINABALU: The recent act of Umno-Barisan Nasional acting as champions of Bornean rights reeks of hypocrisy, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Law, Datuk Liew Vui Keong.
He is of the opinion that genuine concerns of Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and the likes of Khairy Jamaluddin and former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak about Sabah and Sarawak are as non-existent as any of their efforts to restore and uphold the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners whilst in power before May 2018.
Liew in a statement yesterday pointed out that in recent days, Bung Moktar, the Kinabatangan Member of Parliament has been clamorous on the constitutional amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution spearheaded by Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) in April 2019 to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the Federation.
“It is nauseating that only in the days leading to a by-election in Sabah has Bung Moktar received sudden enlightenment on the significance of Article 1(2) to Sabah and Sarawak. Never has he once batted an eye, much less spoken a word, on the value of this to Sabahans in enjoying equal rights and wealth. But today, prior to a by-election, he is concerned.
“This concern is all but one of action. I remind Bung Moktar that he is amongst the Umno-Barisan Nasional MPs, all of whom defeated the Article 1(2) constitutional amendment bill on the 9th of April 2019 without remorse. He prevented Sabah and Sarawak from enjoying equal partnership in the Federation.
Betraying in a heartbeat the trust millions placed in him to represent the genuine interests of Borneans in Parliament,” Liew stressed.
The recent frolics of Umno-Barisan Nasional in displaying a façade of being overnight champions of Bornean rights reek of hypocrisy, he opined.
“Whereas in a mere 21 months of helming the state and nation, Warisan Sabah with the assistance of Pakatan Harapan stands a mere stone’s throw away from implementing the MA63 and restoring the status of Sabah and Sarawak in the Federation. An achievement that would otherwise never have been possible with Umno-Barisan Nasional in power.
“I urge the likes of Bung Moktar and Khairy Jamaluddin to immediately cease their distasteful pretence of being sensitive to the plight of Sabahans and Sarawakians. They undertook not a single meaningful reform to effect any actual change in the lives of these Borneans but now attempt to mislead them as well for political mileage. There is no low these lot will not go,” he said.
Liew added that whilst in Cabinet comforted by the cushions of power they recoursed to silence on issues of pressing national importance: financial scandals in the billions, and unprecedented abuses of power in office.
But today these political opportunists stroll the high-horse, attempting to school a government democratically elected by Malaysians who showed them the door, he claimed.
“Their time may be better expensed in self-reflection to gradually embrace their past failures to govern. I advise them not to smear the efforts of the government in delivering true change to Sabahans and Sarawakians.
And to not think so low of Borneans as being incapable of seeing past Umno-Barisan Nasional’s deceit.
“Take the people for no less,” he said.