PERSPECTIVE: This is a section for "Guest Post". Guest write on any subject or issue they choose. And what they write is posted as received. Today's guest is Dato' M Santhananaban
Positioning, Prioritising Malaysia Over The Peninsula
The illustrious Sir Richard Winstedt, perhaps the most acclaimed authority at one time on the Malay language had a book ‘ Britain and Malaya’ published by Longmans, London in 1944. As the title suggests both in alphabetical order, order of importance and the actual reality in almost every formulation Britain came before Malaya then. In 1938 for instance, Winstedt states that the 'English schools were staffed with 232 Europeans, 35 Americans, 330 Eurasians and 948 Asiatics. There were nearly three thousand Malays and nearly four thousand Chinese teaching in vernacular schools.’ This was the basis of the advantage Malaya had over Sabah and Sarawak. A quarter century later when Malaysia was formed those two regions were deemed to be thirty years behind in developmental terms.
Britain dominated Malaya and determined the basic infrastructure development and distribution of power, the deployment of the key resources of Malaya and the distinct demographic character of our country in accordance with British priorities. Malaya in 1957 was a very different and a far more diverse country ethnically compared with the period before the arrival of the British.
When Malaysia was formed in 1963 that demography altered and it altered again in 1965 when Singapore separated.
In another perspective Victor Purcell in his book, ‘ Malaya: Communist Or Free’ published in 1955 by Stanford University Press states (on page 39) that ‘ Malaya at that time was a glorified commercial undertaking than a ‘State.’
Winstedt arrived in Malaya in the early part of the 20th century and had a deep and insightful understanding of the country.
Perhaps the most interesting information that is relevant for Malaya’s gradual move to some kind of self-government is Winstedt’s reference to the government establishment of his times. The British were focused on three key areas- health, education and law and order- to essentially satisfy their own colonial, commercial and strategic interests. Britain’s priorities were vastly different from the aspirations of Malayans. It was to simply extract maximum economic and trade advantage from a strategically located Malaya.
Today some 60 years after the formation of Malaysia our overarching focus should be on building, developing and unifying the whole nation. Every part of the country must aim to have the same government-funded facilities and infrastructure that Kuala Lumpur and Selangor enjoy.
Sabah and Sarawak, as equal partners of the peninsula should, in particular be provided with the same kind of facilities. The current unity government has to make a conscious and radical departure from the policies of the first 60 years of UMNO’s dominance. UMNO had a divisive policy of just overly concentrating on the peninsula which has the overwhelming majority of the population.
The defeat of the Najib-led largely UMNO- dominated government in May 2018 should have been a trigger to embark on a new trajectory for more balanced and even development. That failed to happen partly because the first Pakatan Harapan Government had overwhelmingly powerful narrow minded Malay-first leaders.
The unity government formed in November 2022 has begun formulating policies that are somewhat more inclusive and participatory especially for Sabah and Sarawak. A start has been made by naming a deputy prime minister from Sarawak. But much remains to be done so that the alienation, marginalisation and sense of neglect felt and expressed by our brothers and sisters from Sabah and Sarawak is gradually addressed and reduced. There is an urgency to address this issue especially with the expected move of the seat of the Indonesian government to Nusantara.
Once Nusantara takes shape and Indonesia takes off as an enormous economic powerhouse the perception of the neglect, environmental damage and enormous disparity between the peninsula and the these two regions would become more obvious. Serious consideration must be given to addressing the socioeconomic and development gap with these two regions.
It is encouraging that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seems determined to fully embrace Sabah and Sarawak in his development programmes. This is being attempted at a time when the country is much less affluent, facing budget deficits , higher debt-servicing obligations and is in dire need of development funds. In the period from the 1980s there has been much wasteful expenditure on economically dubious prestige projects by previous prime ministers.
Sabah and Sarawak must be adequately compensated for the neglect, plunder and pressures that they have been subjected to in the past. These are resource-rich regions which have lost out much on account of the lack of accountability, good governance, integrity, transparency and the deprivation of essential development funds. Yet Malaysia’s leaders must draw satisfaction from the enlightened policies on ethnicity and religion of these two regions.
Malaysia's larger interests must clearly take precedence over peninsular Malaysia's sectional interests. Lest we forget, we are one country.
PMX has to put in place the sacrifice, trust and the tools necessary to build more ‘bridges’ and binding links to foster solid and balanced bonds with the Borneo region.
M Santhananaban
October 15, 2023
Dato' M Santhananaban: Retired Ambassador with 45 years of public sector experience, including more than 35 years in the Malaysian Foreign Service.
👍 100%
Sarawak & Sabah is now a very2 crucial vote bank for Anwar and any future PM. Whatever they demand, they will probably get it.