Autonomy and integration

ON the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the formation of Malaysia (Sept 16, 2016), people on the peninsula should give serious attention to the concerns expressed by an increasing number of groups and individuals in Sarawak and Sabah about the rights of their two states in the Malaysian federation. These concerns have become louder and more persistent in the last two or three years.

What explains the rising crescendo? The emergence of the Sarawak and Sabah vote as the Barisan Nasional’s fulcrum of power in Putrajaya in the wake of the 2013 general election is undoubtedly a major factor. It is because Sarawak and Sabah politicians are conscious of the power they now wield over the federal government that they have become more assertive on behalf of their states.