“They can easily set the course of Sabah politics” because of the size of their population, said Datu Mohd Akjan Datu Ali Muhammad, the national adviser for the Suluk Sabah Mixed Blood United.
Speaking to FMT, he warned Barisan Nasional against taking the Suluks for granted although they have traditionally supported the coalition.
He said the community accounted for more than 1.5 million eligible voters in the state. The number was obtained from a census conducted by the National Security Council. It takes into account the Bajau-Suluks, Chinese-Suluks, Kadazan-Suluks and other Suluks of mixed blood.
“From Pitas to Beluran to Sugut and even Kota Marudu, the majority of the people are mixed Suluk,” Akjan said. “They’ve hidden their ethnicity because of the stigma attached to the name.”
Traditionally, the Suluk people, and perhaps a large majority of the mixed-blood Suluks, are loyal to their chosen leaders and will not conspire to change them, according to Akjan. The one exception to this rule happened decades ago, when they decided to give their support to the late Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, a Bajau-Suluk.
“All this while, our people have been loyal to Barisan Nasional, and the Suluk community is the pillar of strength for Sabah Umno,” Akjan said.
“It has been reported that Sabah Umno has 500,000 members. I can say confidently that at least 350,000 are Suluk.”
However, he warned that things might change because many members of the community now felt ignored by the government. They were especially disappointed that Umno had done nothing to improve the public’s general perception of them, he added.
The Suluk’s reputation took a nosedive after the 2013 incursion into Lahad Datu by the so-called Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo.
Many Sabahans accused the Suluk community of being in cahoots with the foreign intruders. According to Akjan, the community has suffered discrimination since. And it doesn’t help that many illegal immigrants identify themselves as Suluk.
“I think the time has come for the Suluk people to make their own decision and determine their own future and choose who is fit enough to lead them,” Akjan said.
He spoke well of Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal, saying he could be seen as another Tun Mustapha because of his charisma.
“I have always been a BN supporter, to be honest. But at least Shafie is not ashamed of confessing to be of Suluk descent. He is a Suluk-Bajau, of course.
“The other Suluk leaders will not even say it except during elections. Other days, they will say they are of a different ethnicity.”
He said Shafie’s influence and his position as leader of an opposition party had made Sabah politics unpredictable. The only predictable thing, he added, was that the result of the next election would be decided by the Suluk vote.
“All this while,” he said, “our people had no other choice, nowhere else to go. They only supported Umno, but what has Umno done for them? Has the party fulfilled their aspirations?”
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/11/be-loyal-to-msia-sabah-suluks-told/
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