Don't force Sabahans into agreeing, says Star
Published on: Mon, May 19, 2025 Text Size: Anuar said the proposal to include Malayan parties is an attempt to make Umno relevant in national and state politics. Kota Kinabalu: Star information chief, Anuar Ghani, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi should not force Sabah parties to cooperate with Malaya-based parties who tried to sabotage the current GRS State Government. 'This approach not only contradicts the spirit and rationale of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) but also undermines the democratic and constitutional rights of the people of Sabah to choose the parties they believe in without any political pressure,' he said in a statement.
Advertisement 'The people of Sabah should not be subtly threatened that they will be punished if they choose local parties that do not align with the Federal Government. If that is the case, this Madani government is no different than during Tun Mahathir. 'Sabah, regardless of who is the Federal Government, should be treated fairly and as a constitutional equal partner (See Article I (2)(b) of the Federal Constitution). 'Who else can better take care of the Sabahans other than the Sabahans and local parties themselves? Development is the right of the people, not a political reward. 'The terms and conditions for cooperation are simple. Fulfil the MA63 terms and under the Federal Constitution.
Advertisement 'The RM600 million promised by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is merely a sweetener that only covers 3.1 per cent of Sabah's 40 per cent rights under Article 112(a) and Part IV Schedule 10 of the Federal Constitution for the year 2025. 'Give us our rights so that the Sabah Government can use the funds to improve development in Sabah, to resolve the long term issues of electricity and water, improve Sabah's education, health and basic necessities. He said the proposal to include Malayan parties is an attempt to make Umno relevant in national and state politics. 'They are trying to apply their modus operandi in seven states in peninsula where they needed to form coalitions to govern or dominate the states of Johore, Penang, Selangor, Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, and they have lost (zero seats) in Terengganu, Kelantan, Perlis, and Kedah (and Sarawak). 'Umno has been rejected. They need us than we need them,' he said. 'Sarawak is governed by a local party. There are no insurmountable issues. Sabah too wants to be led by local parties. 'We can convey the request and demands of the people of Sabah through Sabahans appointed in the Federal Cabinet. 'The decision on Sabah's interest and requirements will be made by Presidents of the local parties and not branch managers of Malayan parties at the Sabah level. 'Rumah kita, kita jaga (We'll take care of our own house),' he said. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
40 minutes ago
- The Star
Malaysia won't bend to external pressure, says PM
PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) has warned foreign powers doing business with Malaysia, including the United States, not to impose terms to pressure or undermine national policies, reaffirming that the country will not bow to powers that 'cross the red line'. 'Malaysia maintains clear red lines in international negotiations that our national policies must not be interfered with,' he said. 'For example, if they (foreign powers) claim our bumiputra policy is discriminatory, Malaysia firmly says no. The country stands by its accepted and established national policies. 'Even if the United States does not agree with our terms, we will stand by our principles. We hope they will agree, but we have already set our red lines,' the Prime Minister said. He said the country intends to continue trading amicably with all countries. 'However, no country can be allowed to impose terms that pressure or undermine our national policies,' he reiterated. Anwar said Malaysia is currently engaged in complex trade negotiations with the United States, which include issues like tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration. 'In the procurement system, Malaysia must maintain the right to give opportunities to local companies. This is a non-negotiable position in our discussions. 'Therefore, our negotiations with the United States are more meticulous and firmer than usual,' he said, dismissing those who questioned Malaysia's stand on the US tariffs. On another matter, Anwar called on civil servants to ignore those who said that the government has not performed well. Pointing to the approved investments at the end of last year, which were the highest in the country's history, he said investors from other countries have shown strong confidence. 'The investment value in 2024 reached RM3.7bil to RM8bil, including major investments in the electrical and electronics sector and Amazon Web Services, which committed US$10bil. 'This achievement has gained recognition at the international level, reflecting strong investor confidence in Malaysia,' he said at a gathering with staff of the Prime Minister's Department yesterday. He also cited several figures, including 3,494 manufacturing investment projects approved by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority between 2021 and June this year. Out of the approved projects, 3,095 projects have been realised and are operational, representing a high implementation rate of 86.4%, added Anwar. 'Annual realisation rates were 90.6% in 2023 and in 2024 it was 79.2%. In the first quarter of this year, the rate is 49.8% (mostly new projects still in the early implementation phase),' he said. He said Malaysia rose from 34th last year to 23rd in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, the only country to climb more than 10 places and attributed the jump to strong economic performance and government efficiency.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Stay granted on sexual assault suit against PM
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has granted a stay in the civil suit filed against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 2021 by his former research officer Muhammed Yusoff Rawther over allegations of sexual assault. The decision effectively puts the High Court trial on hold, pending the outcome of constitutional issues that are being brought before the Federal Court. The decision, made by a three-member panel yesterday, means the trial will not proceed until the appellate court hears the prime minister's appeal against the High Court's refusal to refer key constitutional questions to the apex court. Case management has been set for Sept 2, during which a hearing date for the appeal will be scheduled. In a statement, Anwar's lead counsel Datuk Seri Rajasegaran S. Krishnan stressed that the prime minister is not seeking immunity from legal action or attempting to avoid trial. 'The prime minister is simply asserting his right to raise constitutional questions of public importance before the trial begins,' he said. Among the questions raised are whether civil suits involving a sitting prime minister's conduct prior to taking office should be subject to safeguards, and whether there should be protection from politically motivated suits aimed at undermining a government – similar to SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) cases. The legal team also questioned whether a filtering mechanism should be in place, similar to those applied to judges or Malay Rulers under Article 183 of the Federal Constitution before such suits are allowed to proceed. 'These are serious and unprecedented questions. If not addressed, any prime minister could be targeted with lawsuits timed for political impact, risking the stability of the executive,' the statement added. The stay allows the appellate courts to consider the constitutional implications before the trial resumes. 'The prime minister has nothing to hide and is ready to respond to all claims through a process that respects the constitution and the balance of powers it upholds,' said Rajasegaran. The civil suit against Anwar was filed by Yusoff who alleged that he was sexually harassed by Anwar in 2018. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, claims the incident took place at Anwar's private office. Anwar has strongly denied the allegation, calling it baseless and politically motivated. The High Court had previously fixed the trial to begin in June this year. Anwar had sought the apex court to rule whether Articles 5, 8, 39, 40 and 43 of the Federal Constitution grant him qualified immunity from Yusoff's suit. Anwar had asked the court to decide whether Yusoff's suit would impair the effective discharge of his executive duties and undermine the constitutional separation of powers. He had also requested the court to consider whether the lawsuit impacts his ability to carry out executive duties and undermines the principle of separation of powers guaranteed by the constitution.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
New Trump HR chief denies Elon Musk ties amid administration rift
WASHINGTON: The new chief of the agency spearheading efforts to slash the federal workforce said on Monday he had no personal ties to tech billionaire and former Trump advisor Elon Musk, pledging to faithfully execute President Donald Trump's agenda. 'I have zero personal relationship with Elon Musk. I have talked to Elon Musk once on the phone in my life,' Scott Kupor, who was sworn in to lead the Office of Personnel Management earlier this month, told reporters. The comments underscored lingering questions about the loyalties of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs among Trump administration officials following a public spat between Trump and Musk that led to a deep rift between the two former allies. Kupor said he had told Trump and other people in the White House that 'my job is to do the agenda that the president lays out to the best I can.' 'But I'm not going to do it consistent with someone else's objectives that are inconsistent with what the president wants to do,' he added. Musk, who spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help Trump win November's presidential election, led the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to slash the budget and cut the federal workforce until his departure in late May to refocus on his tech empire, including electric vehicle maker Tesla . While Trump hailed Musk's tenure upon his departure, the president quickly pulled the nomination of Musk ally and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Reuters previously reported that Musk was disappointed by Isaacman's removal. The president also threatened to cancel billions of dollars worth of contracts between the federal government and Musk's companies after Musk denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill as a 'disgusting abomination.' Prior to taking the helm at OPM, Kupor was a partner at Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which invests in Musk's AI startup Xai as well as SpaceX. - Reuters
