I have a little bit of thought about regime change, to share. It goes like this.
For Sabah and Sarawak, there are 2 types of Opposition political narrative:
1. Throw support behind PR unreservedly and then assume the PR government, with its “enlightened democracy” will fix Sarawak. This narrative is very simple. Write about how bad the Federal Government had been treating Sarawak, and how bad the individuals, and then magically made a statement that will be hunky dory in Sarawak once PR takes over. Vote for change, as the mantra would say, and all will be well. This type of writings are no different than speeches made during political campaign. It serve to sway votes among the public, into PR favor, but it might also turn off the intellectuals from believing in the cause when its too condenscending, by being too simplistic – from Sabah and Sarawak perspective.
2. The second narrative, address what might happen, to Sabah and Sarawak position in the Federation – realistically, the day the PR takes over the mantle of power from the Federal Government. Most ardent supporters of the Opposition in Sarawak do not want to discuss this, because it discomfortingly challenge the promises made by PR against the reality of the Federation politics. For example, the promise of the 20% oil royalty — what does it really mean ? Won’t it be possible for the PR government to grant the 20% oil royalty, and then turn around , and reduce Federal Government allocation ? Even the PR Common Policy Framework to fully recognise the Malaysia Agreement 1963, may fail the test of feasibility when each terms are challenged through the existing gamut of rules in the Constitution, Judiciary and Legislative. Try it.
I’m more interested in the second narrative.
The prevailing position of colorful writers from Malaya is that a clean democracy – free of corruption, transparent, free, bla bla .. will be whats needed for Malaya AND Sabah and Sarawak. I think thats half the picture.
If you take away the emotion, and see the underlying structure of the Malaysian Federation: the whole thing remains the same – even after PR takes over the Federal Government. Sarawak will still have 31 members of Parliamen,some of whom will be given a few insignificant Federal Minister portfolio. The engine will remain the same. The decision-making apparatus and structure that the BN used to make decisions for the nation, will be the same one that PR will be using.
So, in the final analysis, will regime change (if it happens), be just another coat of paint for Sabah and Sarawak ? That, once the euphoria of the election win subside, Sabah and Sarawak will be left to rot again, under a PR government ? To put it bluntly: won’t a PR government be more interested to invest public money in another Merdeka Tower, MRT, dual-rail track ….. because gentlemen, we know that a hardnosed economics analysis will favour public spending in Kuala Lumpur that it would in Ulu Baram ?
This is not to dampen the spirit of those who would shout halleluya whenever they read the typical narrative of Type 1 variety. What I’m suggesting to true Sarawakian patriot is not to get too giddy like the cavemen of Borneo who supposedly negotiated with Tunku Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan Yew, but apparently were not match – and forgot, at that time, Malaysia could have been a ruse to suck their oil dry – and the British government were playing them to a beat.
And I should say, I’m all for ABU. The trick is, in our own minds – as Sarawakian, we must define – whats in it for us in the new Malaysian order, and we must not be naively assuming that our competitors for Federal resources, will be so kind as to defer the scarce Federal public sector resource, figuratively speaking, to build that Kanowit – Kapit road in a year, out of the kindness of their heart ! If you are willing to pause, you will probably read Pak Bui’s article in a different light. You may even realise the need for Sabah and Sarawak to band together, to stake out a stronger position in the patchwork of Malaysian Federation, and make any regime change, a meaningful one for Sabah and Sarawak. If in our mind that the scenario (of a respected Sabah/Sarawak reps in Parliament) would fail anyway, then anon maybe right – that indeed it might be better to cut to the chase, and initiate a peaceful Independence movement.