“Sabah tidak muda lupa (Sabah doesn’t forget easily). Mahathir abused the Internal Security Act (ISA). Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak abolished it. Mahathir caused so much disruption to the demography of Sabah.”
Mahathir was a tyrant, bully and oppressor, especially towards Sabah leaders, reiterated Ongkili. “His admission that he was a dictator during his 22 years in power was the classic understatement of the century.”
“Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and I ended up in detention for 59 days on the orders of Mahathir.”
Mositun thinks that it would be a “big mistake” if the Citizens’ Declaration was seen as a battle against corruption, economic mismanagement and nepotism. “In reality, it’s a desperate attempt to derail the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government’s transformation agenda.”
“Certain people, resentful over the loss of the influence and privileges that they had during the Mahathir era, have hijacked the role of the opposition parties.”
In reality, he added, the people with Mahathir want to install their own administration so that they can control and continue to exploit resources and the people like before. “However, it’s made to look like an honourable cause.”
The Gen-Y, continued Mositun who is also a Sabah Deputy Speaker, should be well-informed on current issues “so that they can choose their leaders wisely when the General Election comes in 2018.”
“They should learn to differentiate between the truth, lies and spin or the misrepresentation of facts. There’s a lot going on in the social media.”
Ongkili, chipping in, also begged to differ with the reformist agenda promoted by Mahathir. He charged that Mahathir had issued citizenships to illegal immigrants in Sabah to erode the PBS Government and for Umno to seize power in the state. “The 20 Points, the IGC Report and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 were all taboo subjects with Mahathir. He used the ISA against those who raised these issues.”
Ongkili noted that many of those who used to suffer under Mahathir were now willing to sleep with the “enemy”. “In their desperation, to be part of the new government that they think will take over, they have discarded their integrity and principles to partner Mahathir.”
“They are willing to be in cahoots with Mahathir to oust the Prime Minister who was democratically elected by the people.”
Both Mositun and Ongkili agreed that the former Prime Minister never spoke the language of devolution and autonomy that Najib has promised Sabah and Sarawak. “It’s not true that no one protested against Mahathir during his premiership. Many of us did and paid a heavy price for it.”
The former Prime Minister, stressed the duo, cannot degenerate into collective amnesia and rewrite the history of the country during his administration.