Warisan casts doubt on Upko’s commitment to protect Sabah rights

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah has expressed its skepticism over what the acting president of Upko, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau has said in relation to the party’s commitment to safeguard the state’s rights and privileges within the Federation of Malaysia.

According to Warisan Information Bureau coordinator Crispin Kitingan, Tangau had instead just reaffirmed what Sabahans had been thinking all the while that, ‘there exists some kind of erosions and breaches upon Sabah’s rights and privileges which are essentially contained in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and all its corresponding documents’.

“But when you think about it, most of these erosions and breaches (such as the existence of Felda and Risda in Sabah) or the attempt to erode or breach (such as the RUU355) actually occurred during the administration of BN in Sabah, irrespective of whether when the State was under the single party system or the coalition system as how it currently is,” he said.

Crispin opined that it was ridiculous for Upko to portray itself as the ‘good cop’ and the rest as ‘bad cops’ simply because as part of the BN, especially as a minority component party, Upko must adhere to the principle of BN’s collective responsibility over any decision taken by the president and deputy president of Umno, who are also both chairman and deputy chairman of BN or else, leave the coalition (BN) like what Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and many other former BN members had done.

Crispin, who is the younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan also said that Tangau was unconvincing when it came to Upko protecting Sabah’s rights and privileges.

He said it was general knowledge among Sabahans that Upko would always play second fiddle to PBS besides being under the thumbs of Umno and the main office bearers of BN.

“I now ask Tangau; with all the ‘outstanding records’ in preserving the KDM identities in Sabah as highlighted by him, how many seats can Upko possibly win that made him think will make Upko a very dominant and fearsome political party in Malaysia and in turn, make it a champion of Sabah’s safeguards?

“So contrary to what Tangau has said, I believe that Upko cannot and will never be able to protect Sabah’s rights and privileges without the help of other BN Sabah component parties, especially PBS and whether Upko made a lot of noise within BN or not, it makes no real difference unless Umno leaders first see that there exists some kind of political benefit over these ‘noises’ made by Upko,” he claimed.

Crispin also opined that what Sabahans want is ‘the new administration under a single multiethnic political party that can come out with single, equal and fair policies for all Sabahans while at the same time, never neglecting any Sabahans from whetever ethnicity or faith’ because this is actually the essence of a strong and united Sabahans, as how the Tengku Mahkota Johor always pointed out.

“But since Tangau had quoted Tun Fuad Stephens, he should probably emulate what the latter did when Upko was dissolved in 1967 to combine with Usno and in today’s circumstances by rejoining PBS and to disband this Upko Baru (since they are all in BN).

Christina Liew among two new Pakatan Harapan VPs

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan has expanded its vice presidential line-up to better represent the Indian community and Sabahans, chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced yesterday.

DAP’s M. Kulasegaran and PKR’s Christina Liew were both made vice presidents, giving the pact six in total.

Datuk Husam Musa was appointed as treasurer to replace Kulasegaran who held the post prior to his new appointment.

The other VPs are PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen and Amanah’s Salahuddin Ayub.

PH has three deputy presidents: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of PPBM, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.