Bung Moktar Radin, who is Kinabatangan MP, told FMT the new government must speak the same language as Waythamoorthy and make sure the Hindraf chairman is not a solitary voice about East Malaysians.
Waythamoorthy had reminded Malaysians of the other ethnic communities in Sabah and Sarawak. “They may be different in their ethnicity, culture, and religion, but they also formed Malaysia with us,” he said in his first official address as a minister in the prime minister’s department.
Bung Mokhtar said, however, that “the best way for Pakatan Harapan to ensure better unity between West Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak would be to simply honour promises made in the election manifesto, particularly those on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the 20% oil royalty.”
Puncak Borneo MP, Willie Mongin of PKR, lauded Waythamoorthy for acknowledging the contributions and importance of East Malaysia.
“I hope all West Malaysians will recognise that Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners in the formation of Malaysia, and do away with the mindset that we in East Malaysia are inferior.” Mongin said Sabah and Sarawak only wanted what was due to them.
Independent filmmaker and activist Nadira Ilana said that Waythamoorthy must understand that Peninsular-centricism isn’t a “sentiment” but an effect of the systemic oppression of Sabah and Sarawak.
“We need to acknowledge the traumatic effects of policies on Sabah and Sarawak, which have stripped my generation of our Borneo identity and languages.”
The creative industry, Nadira said, had created a culture of condescension and exclusion of East Malaysians from telling their own stories, because almost all the decision makers are Peninsular Malaysians who are often catering to a mass Malay audience.
Former Sabah tourism, culture, and environment minister Masidi Manjun, was more critical, saying merely asking people to do away with “Peninsula sentiments” alone will not solve the problem, which stemmed from a perceived “unfair” treatment by the federal government or the condescending attitude of some federal leaders.
“Treating East Malaysians as equals will address the root of the problem. Treating them as equal partners in national development would be a better way to rid those sentiments that exist at both sides of the relationship.”
He said clear guidelines in the management of policies that would have an impact on Sabah and Sarawak may help and this includes mandatory consultation of both the East Malaysian state governments before policies are made.
Waytha: Do away with ‘peninsular’ sentiments in new Malaysia