Doubting Thomases, we were

AT the luncheon given by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Singapore on May 27, 1961, the Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman, was the guest speaker.

The Tunku was toying with an idea – that his country, Malaya (already independent since Aug 31, 1957 ) “and the British territories of Singapore, North Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak could be brought closer together in political and economic cooperation”.

The idea became news that went viral, as readers nowadays would say.

If anybody blames me for supporting the formation of Malaysia, I have an alibi. Thousands of miles away, at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, the students from Sarawak heard the news from the Sarawak Tribune, copies of the newspaper reaching us a week later. I was one of the students.

We had also heard about the Malaysia Plan from Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Kheng Swee of Singapore; came to the campus to sell the plan. So did Sardon Jubir of Malaya.

Despite their assurances and promises of better days for everybody, many among us were still sceptical about the success of the merger.

Wishing to find out more details of the merger, members of the Borneo Students’ Association of the University suggested that I should write to the Tunku expressing our concerns and urging him to address those concerns.

So I wrote to the Tunku on their behalf, expressing our reservations about his proposal and seeking assurances in terms of preservation of various rights. We wanted to be assured, should his idea materialise, of adequate safeguards in terms of rights over land, over forests, over use of English and native languages, over freedom of worship, over customary practices, of speech, and of control of immigration.

Honestly, we were worried that most of the good jobs and business opportunities would be snapped up by the Malayans and the Singaporeans at our expense. And we wanted the Tunku to reserve places in the civil service for us.

No reply from him. Suddenly we heard that after the United Nations survey was completed, Malaysia would be proclaimed on Sept 16, 1963. We heard Stephen Kalong had been appointed Chief Minister and Datu Hj Openg the Governor.

When Malaysia was finally formed in September, 1963, we were the first to celebrate its birth, our representations notwithstanding. We were the first to celebrate because New Zealand is five hours ahead of Sarawak and Sabah.

We all know that since the formation of Malaysia, we have had a fair share of teething problems but we managed to surmount them all eventually.

But let these problems be relegated to history as we look forward to the future. There are major obstacles in the way – the infrastructural disparities between states and regions. The gap needs to be bridged through political will and statesmanship. Get rid of the Cabotage policy, which is said to be one of the causes of higher cost of living in Sabah and Sarawak. The economic transformation plan has yet to show tangible results as far as Sarawak is concerned.

Our politicians and statesmen must tackle the polarisation of communities fast. Many of these problems are the consequences of an overdose of politics, by an overdose of religious fervour; by persistent incidences of poverty, both absolute and relative.

The mounting national debt and that of the households is worrying, so is the shortage of labour in the plantations. What about the unemployment of university graduates, the threat from anti-national elements? Some of whom are learning how to make bombs in Syria and Iraq. What if they are back?

The rampant corruption in high places is another. There are many other problems that must be handled. Only a responsible government can do so.

The economic and infrastructural disparities that exist between the states in the peninsula and between the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak must be reduced as soon as possible. This requires a major political shift before we can call ourselves a developed nation by 2020 – now postponed for another 10 years.

That’s the Malaysia we have created. Stop blaming those leaders in Sarawak or North Borneo who were entrusted with the job of making up their minds as to whether or to merge with Malaya.

They meant well. Hence the various safeguards in the various agreements for all parties to honour, uphold and implement. It is the responsibility of the generations of politicians after them who are expected to do a better job of governing over us. If they are no good, do not vote for them at the next elections.

If we must blame someone for the creation of Malaysia, blame the Tunku, Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Kheng Swee and Sardon Jubir.

I don’t blame anybody.

Instead I prefer to make Malaysia work from the existing model by making good use of the various institutions already in place – among them are an independent judiciary, regular elections to the legislatures, including restoration of the local government elections (my idea), impartial law and order agency like the Police and Anti-Corruption commission.

It is good to have responsible opposition around to keep tabs on the government as to where and why they go wrong. They should be allowed to form a government for a change as in Kelantan and Selangor. If the same group of politicians are allowed to hold on to power until eternity, we are not being fair to the next generations. Familiarity breeds contempt. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The idea which the Tunku had disclosed to the press in Singapore 55 years ago has developed into a 53-year-old nation. Two days ago the whole town of Bintulu was celebrating its birthday.

At this age, are we growing in stature and in wisdom?

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