Mandela: ‘Borneo journey’ has just started

KOTA KINABALU: The appointment of the country’s first Deputy Prime Minister from Sabah and Sarawak indicates that the two states are gaining stronger recognition as a political force in the country, says a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) youth leader.

Ceasar Mandela Malakun, GRS Penampang youth chief and political secretary to the Chief Minister, said this was a sign of the rise of the Borneo bloc in national politics.

He was referring to the appointment of Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as one of the two DPMs in the new Cabinet line-up.

“It’s a positive step in respecting Sabah and Sarawak, especially since both regions are partners in the federation of Malaysia,” Mandela said.

With many in the state’s political circles expressing unhappiness over the lack of Sabah representation in the Federal Government, Mandela has urged them to look at the bigger picture.

“I think we should look at Fadillah’s appointment through the lens of the Borneo bloc. Therefore, it’s something all of us should be proud of.

“It really means a lot to us that one of us in Borneo is now the DPM. We could only dream of this under the past prime ministers,” he said.

He believes this is not the end but rather, a start of what he calls the “Borneo journey” and that Sabahans and Sarawakians could look forward to positioning themselves stronger as a bloc in national politics in the near future.

Mandela noted that political narratives surrounding the belief that Sabah and Sarawak could be kingmakers had now become stronger.