Two Gabungan Rakyat Sabah key leaders have issued a sharp rebuke to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over his recent remarks dismissing the “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment as divisive and unproductive.
Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia have both come out strongly in defence of the slogan, describing Zahid’s remarks as a reflection of historical ignorance and federal arrogance.
Jeffrey said Zahid had “ignored history, distorted facts, and dismissed the legitimate political will of Sabahans.”
“‘Sabah for Sabahans’ is not an act of defiance. It is a rightful stand for political dignity, constitutional integrity and historical truth,” he said, adding that Sabah had never joined Malaysia as a subordinate state but as an equal partner under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Jeffrey accused the federal government of decades of exploitation and political manipulation, including the erosion of Sabah’s constitutional rights, demographic reengineering through Project IC, and economic policies that have kept Sabah underdeveloped despite its rich resources.
“We will not apologise for wanting control over our own future. Sabah is not a colony of Malaya. We never were and we never will be,” Jeffrey declared, stressing that any cooperation with Putrajaya must be based on “respect and equality, not subservience.”
Pandikar, who is former Dewan Rakyat Speaker and USNO president, backed Jeffrey’s position.
He warned that leaders in Putrajaya continue to demonstrate “shallow understanding” of the country’s constitutional structure.
He reminded Zahid that if Malays in Malaya could defend their identity without being accused of divisiveness, Sabahans had every right to do the same.
“If Malay leaders like Zahid Hamidi and UMNO members in Malaya do not view their defence of Malaya’s status as Tanah Melayu as divisive, why does Zahid claim that Sabah’s position of ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ is?”
Pandikar said the sentiment expressed by Jeffrey reflected the “feelings and aspirations of all Sabahans” and did not violate any provision of the Federal Constitution.
Instead, he argued, it was consistent with the spirit and terms of MA63, which was intended to safeguard the rights and interests of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.
He pointed to the historical restriction on free entry into Sabah — which required non-Sabahans to hold a passport prior to the policy being relaxed in the 1980s — as evidence of Sabah’s distinct status within the federation.
“This alone is proof that Sabah was recognised as a territory for Sabahans, unless Sabahans themselves choose to change that,” Pandikar said.
Both leaders stressed that the call for “Sabah for Sabahans” is here to stay and represents a legitimate and constitutionally grounded demand for equal partnership in the federation.
Zahid, who is also UMNO president, made the controversial remarks over the weekend, describing the slogan as divisive and counterproductive to national unity. – May 14, 2025
