By Vernon Kedit
I refer to the statement by Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah in today’s
Borneo Post (September, 23. 2017) where he said, “Most of Sarawak’s rights
enshrined under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) were taken away when Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad was the prime minister.”
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| Vernon Kedit |
Perhaps the Minister is forgetful or perhaps he chooses
to forget, or worse still, perhaps he is not so conversant with history and
historical facts. Allow me to respectfully remind the good Minister the
following facts.
Firstly, the most significant erosion of Sarawak’s rights
was the amendment to Article 1(2) which was among 48 amendments to the Federal
Constitution under a Bill tabled by the then Prime Minister Datuk Hussein Onn
on July 12, 1976 and was passed on July 13, 1976.
This essentially downgraded the region of Sarawak to the
status of ‘negeri’. The PBB MPs who voted for this amendment to strip Sarawak
of its equal status with the Federation of Malaya and Sabah were Datuk Amar
Abdul Taib Mahmud (Samarahan), Dr Sulaman Daud (Santubong), Datuk Patinggi
Abdul Rahman Ya’kub (Payang), Penghulu Abit Angkin (Kapit), Racha Umong
(Limbang-Lawas), Hadadak Daeng Pasauk (Simunjan), and Liben Kato @ Wairy Leben
Kato (Betong).
Dr Mahathir was not the Prime Minister at the time.
Secondly, two years before that, the Petroleum Resources
& Petroleum Development Act 1974 was also passed in Parliament.
This mega-erosion of Sarawak’s right to control its own
natural resources was fully supported by PBB’s parliamentarians.
Sarawak surrendered 95% of its oil income to the Federal
Government, keeping for ourselves only a meagre 5%. The Prime Minister then was
Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the father of the current Prime Minister, Najib Razak.
Dr Mahathir was
not the Prime Minister at the time.
Thirdly, the Territorial Sea Act 2012 was passed in
Parliament with the full support of PBB parliamentarians which limits Sarawak’s
maritime authority to three nautical miles (5.5 km) from the coastline.
The implication is that with the reduced breadth limits
of its territorial waters, the state’s rights to fisheries, marine and mineral
resources, tourism sites in marine areas and so forth are now confined to only
three nautical miles (5.56 km) from its coastline.
This was a physical erosion of Sarawak’s right in that
our territorial border was severely curtailed. In 2012, Datuk Seri Najib Razak
was the Prime Minister. Dr Mahathir had already retired by the time!
And most recently, need I remind the good Minister Datuk
Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah of his own Tourism Tax fiasco currently happening
where his own party’s parliamentarians stood by and watched and voted for
monies collected through tourism in Sarawak to go directly to the Federal
coffers?
The retired 92-year-old Dr Mahathir was certainly nowhere
near Parliament nor Putrajaya at the time sitting as the Prime Minister!
The point is clear: Sarawak’s rights cannot be taken
away, much less eroded, without the consent of Sarawakians themselves. It is
Barisan Nasional Sarawak, led by PBB, in Parliament, that is responsible for
the erosion of our rights.
As for Tun Mahathir apologising to Sarawakians for
allegedly eroding the rights of Sarawak, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has
again gotten his facts muddled.
It is PBB and all its parliamentarians and past and
present, and the Chief Ministers who were at the helm when these erosions
occurred with their full consent who should really apologise to Sarawakians for
being in league with UMNO in leading Barisan Nasional Sarawak to erode
Sarawak’s rights.
Historical facts cannot be spun or denied and the
Malaysian Parliament’s Hansard is clear for all to peruse.
Dr Mahathir will speak on Sunday at BDC in front of
Everrise from 6.30pm onwards and we shall hear what he will have to say to
these false accusations levelled against him by Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman
Hamzah.- September 23, 2017
Note: Vernon Kedit is the publicity chief of Pakatan
Harapan Sarawak.
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