Kota Kinabalu: SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee called on Sabahans to seize what he describes as a golden opportunity in the coming state election to unite under a coalition of local parties, ensuring that Sabah is governed by Sabahans themselves.
Yong said the long and consistent struggle of Star President Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan for Sabah’s rights over two generations has now brought real prospects of success.
“Today, everyone is talking about the 40pc revenue claim which has reached the status of a High Court judgment and entered the national mainstream,” he said.
He recalled that Dr. Jeffrey, whom he described as a “fearless Sabahan,” had documented the state’s 40pc entitlement in his 2006 book Justice for Sabah, nearly 20 years ago.
“I am proud to hold a copy personally autographed by Dr. Jeffrey when we were both in the opposition,” he added.
Yong also credited former Foreign Minister Tan Sri Anifah Aman for propelling the 40pc issue to the federal government’s attention.
“Although Dr. Jeffrey and I were then in the opposition, we were allowed to speak on MA63, the 40pc entitlement, and Borneonisation at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in 2015. Those days, opposition leaders were not even allowed in a village balai raya, yet we spoke before 2,000 people, including top civil servants, professors, and students,” he recalled.
“That single event, hosted by Anifah, pushed MA63 into the national media spotlight,” Yong said, adding that Dr. Jeffrey’s book also covered the 20-point agreement, equal partnership of Borneo states, parliamentary seat distribution, the issue of illegal immigrants, native rights, and Sabah’s unfair share of national wealth.
