PENAMPANG, May 22 (Bernama) -- Sabah and Sarawak partnered Malaya to form Malaysia and therefore cannot be regarded in the same way as the states in the peninsula, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said.
"For all intents and purposes, the founding fathers had envisaged the situation where Sabah and Sarawak and the Federation of Malaya were to form a nation called Malaysia.
"I think the spirit of that agreement is reflected today with Sabah and Sarawak having their own cabinets and systems of government," he told reporters after launching Kampung Madsiang Kaamatan Festival here Saturday.
Dompok, who is Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, was asked to comment on issues raised by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Prof Dr Ranjit Singh during a public policy seminar here on Thursday.
Prof Dr Ranjit Singh, of UUM's College of Law, Government and International Studies, in his working paper titled "Sabah Politics and Policy and Federal-State Relations 1963-1995", said Sabah and Sarawak could not claim that Malaysia was a partnership of three equal members.
Dompok said when Sabah and Sarawak were brought in to form Malaysia, certain provisions were made to ensure the rights of the two Bornean states were preserved and protected, including their administration systems and control over immigration matters.
Meanwhile, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said historical circumstances gave Sabah the basis to enjoy certain autonomy compared to other states in Peninsular Malaysia.
"Dr Ranjit was saying it from the academic point of view," he said.
"The challenge is not only to understand the peculiarities in the Peninsular Malaysia, but also for the people in the peninsula, including decision-makers, to understand our (Sabah and Sarawak) systems," he said.
"In other words," Masidi said, "there is no such thing of a one-size-fits-all policy. It has to be tailor-made to suit the peculiarities of Sabah and Sarawak."
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=500383
