KOTA KINABALU, Oct 24 — The assumptions made by political analysts that the idea of the Borneo Bloc mooted by Parti Warisan is the party’s political capital in riding the coat tails of GPS’ successes in defending the rights of Sarawak, particularly in relation to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and oil royalty payment revisions, are entirely wrong.

Chief secretary to the members of parliament from Parti Warisan, Benedict Sakunil Mansul, said the Borneo Bloc is of utmost mutual importance to Sabah and Sarawak.

Benedict who is the former Senior Private Secretary to the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law), the late Datuk VK, explained that during the reign of PH Plus as Federal Government from 2018 to 2020, the late Liew, who was also the Permanent Chairman of Parti Warisan (Sabah) then, was instructed by Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to immediately initiate efforts to examine the implementation of the MA63 together with the late Zainnal Ajamain. Culmination of their cooperation were 21 issues relating to the MA63 that had to be resolved.

In a mere 17 months, he said the PH Plus Federal Government and the State Governments of Sabah and Sarawak achieved a consensus in relation to 17 of these 21 issues. The remaining four issues could not be resolved owing to the Sheraton Move.

"What is interesting is that, these efforts to examine the implementation of the MA63 by the Federal Government were spearheaded entirely by Parti Warisan through the ministerial portfolio of the late Datuk VK. The success of all three governments in achieving a consensus on 17 of these 21 issues clearly shows that the State Government of Sarawak and GPS, who were then in the opposition, have no qualms with the efforts undertaken by Parti Warisan in relation to the MA63.

"Sarawak realised earlier on that coalitions with Malayan political parties will not translate to implementation of the MA63. The Sarawak State Government led by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg rejected the Devolution of Power Committee established by Umno/BN co-chaired by Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. This Committee was deemed powerless to the extent that Tan Sri Abang Johari established the Pasukan Khas Negeri (Sarawak) in 2017 mandated to discuss with the Federal Government issues relating to the MA63.

"While leaders of STAR, PBS, PBRS, SAPP and UPKO attempt their best to convince Sabahans to support them by saying it is only through cooperation with Malayan parties that the issues faced by Sabah, particularly in relation to the MA63, can be resolved, Sarawakians knew much earlier on that is this completely false.

"It is premised upon this awareness that the idea of a Borneo Bloc is mooted by Parti Warisan this GE15. Political will is required for implementation of MA63 to become reality. This will is non-existent in GRS and BN Sabah,” he said in a statement today.

To put it simply, he said if MA63 is a document signed to protect the rights of Sabah and Sarawak from Malayan exploitation and manipulation, then the Borneo Bloc is in the spirit of the MA63 whereby GPS and Parti Warisan will work together to defend Sabah and Sabah from exploitation and manipulation by Malayan political parties.

"We are completely aware that the form this Malayan exploitation and manipulation takes is in the form of small allocations for Sabah and Sarawak in the Federal Budget every year, oil from Sabah and Sarawak taken by Umno and Petronas etc.

"Resultantly, under the umbrella of a Borneo Block, GPS and Parti Warisan that are free of Malayan influence will assist one another to defeat any exploitative and manipulative agenda against Sabah and Sarawak. Hence, the assumption that Parti Warisan seeks to use the successes of GPS as political capital is completely false as GPS too is aware that the Borneo Bloc is important to fully implement the MA63.

The integrity and loyalty of Parti Warisan has also been established after the Sheraton Move, whereby this party did not take sides of any political party even after being repeatedly coaxed by Bersatu and baited by Umno.

"In fact, the decision of Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to not follow suit in the State Government of Sarawak’s footsteps to sue Petronas in 2019 was due to Parti Warisan’s cooperation with PH then. It was hoped this cooperation would result in a solution to the issue of oil royalties. Unfortunately, the result instead was Datuk Seri Shafie now having to face the brunt of Sabahans because PH refused to fulfil their promises to Sabahans,” said Benedict.

He added post GE15 will see continued friction between Umno and Bersatu. More so when there is no coalition that is expected to win a simple majority, whoever is to govern in Putrajaya will realise that due to federal budgetary constraints, their focus and priority has to be the welfare of voters in West Malaysia.

In these circumstances, he said the Borneo Bloc is essential to protect the rights of Sabahans and Sarawakians effectively and ensure the complete implementation of MA63 to ensure the position of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in this Federation is upheld, he said. — Borneo Post