Yong: MNLF and Gov. Nur Misuari part of a regional
solution to Sabah's problems
Kota Kinabalu, Jan 6, 2010 : Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president,
Datuk Yong Teck Lee, in referring to the news statement today by PBS Vice
President cum Community Development and Consumer Affairs Assistant
Minister, Datuk Herbert Timbon Lagadan, negatively associating former
leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Prof. Nur Misuari with
the illegal immigrants issue, and saying that SAPP's stand on the illegals
issue is a "joke". His racial stereotype undertone is distasteful.
"I do not expect PBS leaders like Herbert to understand the concept of a
regional BIMP-EAGA sustainable solution to Sabah's illegal immigrant
problems. But for the benefit of the public, I outline the concept
practised at the time by Malaysia and the Sabah State government.
"The root causes of illegal immigrants into Sabah are civil wars, social
conflict and economic deprivation. This is a global phenomenon ever since
the dawn of civilizations. The cause of massive immigration into Sabah was
the civil war in Muslim Mindanao in the 1970s. These are followed by
economic migrants from the eastern provinces of Indonesia and Southern
Philippines in the 1980s.
"Costly enforcement measures within Sabah will forever be insufficient if
the push factor from neighbouring countries is not resolved. The long term
solution lies in the peace and prosperity of these neighbouring countries.
"In 1996, the Philippines government and the MNLF had entered into a
peace treaty which was supported by Malaysia and Indonesia and recognized
by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the international community to restore peace in
Mindanao .
"The handing over of the governorship of the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) in ARMM capital Cotabato in September 1996 was witnessed
by many foreign ambassadors and myself as the then Chief Minister of Sabah.
"Our then Prime Minister, Dato Seri Mahathir Mohamad, and the then Deputy
PM, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, were supportive of the peace and
reconciliation efforts going on in the Southern Philippines . President
Fidel Ramos, who was the main force behind the peace treaty with the MNLF
in 1996, having got Libyan backing, had similarly wanted to see peace and
prosperity in his country's southern provinces. 5000 of MNLF forces were
absorbed into the Philippines government. Many old fighters and their
families were resettled. This is a usual hall mark of peace agreements,
including the December 1989 peace agreement between the Malaysian
government and the Communist Party of Malaya.
"President Ramos's personal envoy, Paul Dominguez, and other officials
worked closely with the Malaysian authorities. President Ramos met with
some Sabah State ministers in Mindanao which showed the seriousness of
both the Philippines and Malaysian governments in bringing peace and
prosperity to Mindanao . The then Deputy PM, Dato Seri Anwar, brought
business delegations to Mindanao . So did myself on behalf of the Sabah
State government. Considering that the Philippines had yet to officially
drop their claim on Sabah , these were major ground breaking efforts. None
of these could take place without the express consent of the Federal
Government.
"Prior to that, there had already been extensive and intensive
consultations between the MNLF, Manila and Kuala Lumpur on bilateral
matters, including a sustainable solution to the illegal immigrant
problems affecting Sabah . Some of the lands vacated by the departing
refugees in the 1970s and later illegal immigrants had already been
grabbed by newcomers from the other parts of the Philippines to Mindanao .
(Hence one of the key disputes between the Philippines Government and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) today is over "ancestral homeland".)
"Therefore, we were looking at FELDA-style land resettlement, land
redistribution, Ko-Nelayan style assistance to Moro fishermen, education
opportunities, medical facilities and a host of economic activities. Peace
and prosperity in Mindanao will not only stem the flow of illegal
immigrants to Sabah but it will also attract some illegals to return
voluntarily to the Philippines . Look at Vietnam . In the 1970s,
Vietnamese boat people was a regional headache. Today, overseas Vietnamese
and non-Vietnamese are flocking to Vietnam . China 's southern provinces
had been a source of illegal immigrants swimming to Hong Kong , risking
capture by British Gurkha border guards. Today, the human flow is
reversed. Hong Kong people are residing in Shenzhen. America uses the
North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) to boost up the economy of Mexico
so as the provide jobs to Mexicans who need not cross into Texas .
"Similarly, a direct beneficiary of a prosperous Mindanao is Sandakan
and other east coast towns of Sabah because Mindanao buys most of their
consumer goods from Sabah . This is the "prosper thy neighbour" that Dr.
Mahathir talked about. We increased the number of barter trade licences in
Sandakan in order to cope with increased trade. We studied the opening of
barter trade centers in Lahad Datu, Kudat and Semporna and improved the
existing centre in Tawau. These are still possibilities.
"Gov. Prof. Nur Misuari's official visit to Sabah in October 1997 was as
head of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD)
that oversaw development in the 14 provinces of the Southern Philippines .
Agricultural and fishery developments were the focus of his visit. The
MNLF and ARMM led by Prof. Governor Nur Misuari were a part of the
solution to Sabah problems. Gov. Nur Misuari wanted the Moros in Sabah to
return to Mindanao and help him run and rebuild ARMM. The peoples of
Mindanao, Sabah, Sulawesi and Kalimantan , being the far away provinces of
their respective countries, can live in peace and prosper. That was the
vision of East ASEAN Growth Area consisting of Brunei , and the poor
eastern provinces of Indonesia , Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP-EAGA).
"As for the red carpet welcome cited by Herbert, I don't know where he
saw the red carpet. Most of the State ministers and officials who,
together with me, welcomed him, have since been promoted to the federal
ministers, Chief Minister, Speaker of Parliament and other posts. Instead
of making a fool of himself by speaking on things he knows nothing about,
Herbert should ask these BN colleagues of his first and not become a "katak
dibawah tempurung" ("frog under the coconut shell")," Yong
said. |
