Kota Kinabalu: Kapayan Assemblyman Dr Edwin Bosi has submitted a motion to move a Bill under Standing Order 23 and for the establishment of a Select Committee under Standing Order 91 to review the position of Sabah in Malaysia.
"I take leave to move an adjournment of the Assembly under Standing Order 23 for the purpose of discussing a review on the position of Sabah in Malaysia and the setting up of a Select Committee as per Standing Order 91 on this said Bill to be chaired by the Speaker which will be tabled during the Sabah Assembly sitting from April 9 to 16," he said in his letter handed to the State Assembly office on Monday.
Giving his justifications, Bosi said Sabah's position in Malaysia after 52 years of independence was imperative since the people were starting to be aware of its position in Malaysia.
"There is a general feeling that Sabah and Sabahans have been short-changed after 52 years of independence in Malaysia.
"The open and public remarks by Sarawak's new Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem on Sarawak's rights have more or less inspired the same sentiments in Sabah.
"Sabahans know that as long as Umno is dominant in the Sabah government and the Chief Minister is from Umno there is little chance to see open and public remarks from Sabah leaders and in particular from the Chief Minister to assert or to demand Sabah's rights in Malaysia.
"The existence of the Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) movement is in fact the more bold and daring expression of unhappiness of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.
"Doris Jones who resides in the United Kingdom is a Sabahan and heads the SSKM movement.
"SSKM believes that there is no democracy in Sabah. There is no freedom of expression, association and of speech. That Malaya only wants to control and dictate what and how Sabahans should live and behave. SSKM therefore wants to see Sabah being an independent country like Brunei and Singapore," he said.
Bosi said that on Mar 7 2015, a forum on the formation of Malaysia was organised at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman who was the moderator had asked for a detail and in-depth study on the issues raised.
Anifah had called on all State leaders to put aside their political differences and put their heads together to look into the rights of Sabah as enshrined in the 20 Points, Malaysia Agreement and the Federal Constitution.
"I would like to take the cue from Speaker Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said Keruak who feels that Sabah should be given partial autonomy. Datuk Speaker also said it would be a complete waste of time when entering a negotiation with the knowledge that one's demands will not be accepted by the other side.
"Datuk Speaker also wants politics be set aside and adopt a diplomatic approach to solve these issues meaning Putrajaya needs a clear message that Sabahans and Sarawakians wish to seek a compromise.
"I fully agree that politics should be kept aside when discussing the rights of Sabah in Malaysia. We share the views of the forum on Sabah rights in Malaysia and that of Datuk Speaker," he said.
However, Bosi said they would like the three guarantees on the "Batu Sumpah" the freedom of religion in Sabah, land under Sabah government control and respect and preservation of the tradition and custom of the natives of Sabah by the government to be included in the deliberation.
Hence, the setting up a Select Committee on the position of Sabah in Malaysia under the Chairmanship of the Speaker is timely and most appropriate.
"I would like to recommend that the opposition lawmakers will be well represented in this committee. As per Standing Order 93 (4) non-lawmakers can be admitted to the Select Committee to assist in the deliberation of Sabah's position in Malaysia.
"It is only when the Sabah Assembly discusses and deliberates on Sabah's position in Malaysia vis-Ã -vis the 20 Points, Malaysia Agreement, Federal and Sabah Constitution and the Batu Sumpah that will carry weight and the force when it is submitted and presented to Putrajaya," he said.
