“I would be embarrassed if I was Masidi. Nazri had to do his job for him.”
Her comments were echoed by her political mentor and Bingkor Assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan who sparked the on-going controversy on Batu Sumpah when he received the “mysteriously lost” original plaque from a villager last year.
The duo were referring to Nazri pledging in Keningau on Friday that the Federal Government would restore the words “Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin” (Government of Malaysia Guarantees) on the original plaque affixed to Batu Sumpah. The words had apparently been removed from a replacement plaque when the original plaque went “missing” in the 1980s. Nazri said that restoring the words would remove doubts on what happened.
“This would never happen in Sarawak, a Federal Minister stepping into something that’s within the state’s jurisdiction,” said Liew. “They would not allow it there.”
“Masidi failed and Nazri stepped in to set the matter right. Masidi’s failure was very demoralizing.”
Liew, like Jeffrey, however hastened to add that she was nevertheless grateful that Nazri could make a decision on the matter when Masidi failed to come through and instead trotted out all sorts of excuses. “The social media has rightly pointed out that Masidi let down the Orang Asal in the interior by dragging his foot on the matter of the Federal Government’s guarantee being affixed to Batu Sumpah.”
“This is an important matter that concerns the state’s rights on land, Sabah having no religion, and adat. Even after former State Secretary Richard Lind confirmed the authencity of the original plaque handed to Jeffrey, Masidi was dilly-dallying on the matter.”
That aroused the people’s suspicions, added Liew. “Masidi claimed that Sabah Museum Director Joanna Kitingan, and not Lind, should confirm the authencity of the original plaque. He didn’t even seem to know that Joanna had in the meantime been transferred to another section within his Ministry. He was also very disrespectful towards Lind.”
Jeffrey chipped in that an oath, once taken, must be honoured to maintain peace, social order and body-mind-spirit equilibrium. “We are glad that Batu Sumpah would become a National Heritage with the restoration of the Malaysian Government’s Guarantee.”
“This national heritage should be accessible to the people. It’s a first step towards Sabah and Sarawak regaining their Full Autonomy as per the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).”
Nazri said on Friday that the process of gazetting the historic item, the original plaque, must begin with the relocation of Batu Sumpah at its “final resting place” within the Keningau district. The Keningau District Office has reportedly identified a two-acre site, next to the Keningau Heritage Museum, for Batu Sumpah.