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.