KUCHING: Only a fringe few people in Sarawak talk about independence and secession from Malaysia, and it is because they are not pleased with the treatment by the federal government.
Political analyst Datuk Peter Minos said those few do not represent the vast majority in Sarawak. “My view is that most in Sarawak do like and have come to love Malaysia despite everything.
“What makes Sarawakians not too pleased is how Sarawak has been treated, such as how funds were cut on already approved projects, why Petronas has not given extra ringgits for development despite repeated requests and why Sarawak’s powers under Malaysia Agreement (MA63) have not been returned till now,” he said.
In alluding to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks, he said it was only fair that Sarawakians were asking on those matters.
“They are of legitimate concerns. In the same situation, people in other parts of Malaysia would also ask why. It has nothing to do with how they feel about the country.
“We all love or come to love Malaysia except for those ‘technical’ problems,” he stressed. He said however for those few who created problems over secession or independence, it was up to the authorities to act when necessary.
“Trouble-makers are not in anyone’s favour. So, being the ‘big brother’, it is up to Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government to review things and start treating Sarawak fairly and justly, considering that the state badly needs funds to catch up with the peninsula to grow and progress in the economy and in all other aspects,” he pointed out.
