Don't import extremist racial and religious politics into Sabah

KOTA KINABALU, May 20, 2011: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Haji Amde Sidek is worried that race and religion have been made used to stir up people sentiment from time and time again by politicians.

"This is very disturbing political trend in the country," he said.

"We in SAPP must say it loud and clear; we totally disagree and abhor with the way of new trend of politicking taking shape in the country and must not be imported to Sabah.

"Malaysians in Sabah don’t find it amusing being not used to it, brandishing hatred of others’ races and religions.

"We taught our young at school to behave and treat each other equally and with respect but out side school compound our leaders were scaremongering with all sorts of slogan even lifting kris in the air to show how mighty they were.

"On the issue of race superiority, take for example, our Deputy Prime Minister who said, his is Malay first, Malaysian comes second, and how do we reconcile this with the promotion of 1 Malaysia?

"The motives of using race and religion as political bashing are non other than to score political mileage to attract followers on one side, whilst destroying the long established harmonious culture on the other.

"Constitutionally all citizens are guaranteed of their right of religious freedom in this country, why are we restraining them from practicing their right?

"Race has never been a problem in Sabah, we never quarrel about it, neither we quarrel over religion, no exhuming dead body.

Ibrahim Ali is talking about jihad-crusade against other religion, which is very offensive in nature. Why is the government taking it lightly? The Utusan Malaysia is continuingly harping to create racial and religious tension by publishing something, which was untrue such as Christian, is plotting to take over Islam.

Publishers and printing presses in the past were penalised for behaving in the manner they did today. Their licenses revoked, editors and writers were made to resign. Is this not a double standard treatment?

Sabah people are among the most harmonious society in Malaysia, no history of aggressiveness. No experience in racial conflict. For example, we only knew there was a 13th May incident in Peninsular after it was already over. No single communist in Sabah found even during emergency era. That’s the proof.

In Sabah today, especially in urban areas it’s difficult to find a family in a house that make up only by one race. I can quote from my own experience there are sisters and brothers who are Muslim while the mother or father are Christian or other religions. Or among the brothers and sisters they’re practising different religions yet still living under one roof. Do you expect them to hate each other?

"Ibrahim Ali is talking about crusade –jihad against Christians, even the most idiotic man wouldn’t do it let alone the normal one. It's really is seen that desperate fight resorts to desperate behaviour! He should talk more about corruption, injustices, abuse of power so on and so forth.

"UMNO leaders are the least concerned about Ibrahim Ali's rhetoric, they keep quiet because PERKASA is doing the job for them.

"Sabah doesn’t need a politician like Ibrahim Ali. Wonder also how and what do the Sabah leaders in BN component parties think about this issue?