Rafizi: Corrupt Sabah, Sarawak leaders quick to point finger at peninsula politicians for their problems

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli today said the poverty in Sabah and Sarawak is caused by leaders in the two states who are in cahoots with the leaders in peninsula Malaysia when it comes to the distribution of the nation’s wealth.

“For decades, for the sake of a joint alliance to remain in power, politicians in the peninsula turned a blind eye to the malpractice and failure or incompetence of their political partners in Sabah and Sarawak from the same coalition.

“As a result, corruption and embezzlement became flesh and blood. Many scrambled to become politicians because that is the way to wealth. The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer,” Rafizi said in his Malaysia Day message.

Rafizi said in Sabah and Sarawak, people who made wealth from such power trust also took the opportunity to point the finger at the “peninsula” as the cause of all the problems in Sabah and Sarawak.

He said that is an easy way to cover up their mistakes and breach of trust by hiding behind regional sentiments that divide the unity of the people in this country.

“I believe the position of Sabah and Sarawak within the Federation of Malaysia is as provinces (not states) as was the original spirit of the founding of Malaysia.

“I believe our brothers in Sabah and Sarawak deserve a fair and commensurate result from the wealth of their region.

“However, I also don’t want that wealth to be misappropriated by the same ruler from the group that has enriched itself all this time,” he said.

As such, Rafizi said the issue of distribution of allocations and revenue must be done according to rights that respect the spirit of the founding of Malaysia.

He added that only then will the welfare of the brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak will be guaranteed.

“Therefore, in conjunction with Malaysia Day 2022, I call for people in Sabah and Sarawak not to be consumed by the narrow regional political game that pits the brotherhood of Sabah and Sarawak against the peninsula.

“The brothers in the peninsula need to accept the fact that it is unfair to treat Sabah and Sarawak as just one of the states in the Federation of Malaysia because that is not the spirit of the establishment of Malaysia in the first place,” he said.