Ex-Sabah minister: Review 20-point agreement
KUNDASANG, Mon, 26 Apr 2010: Former Sabah Finance Minister Mohd Noor
Mansoor has called for a review of the 20-point agreement that led to the
formation of Malaysia in 1963.
He said this was necessary as the Federal government has reneged on what
was stipulated in the agreement, among others the Borneonisation of the
state's civil service, the Immigration control and political autonomy.
"Borneonisation means that Sabahans should be given priority in federal
government departments and agencies, he said at a political talk organised
here by the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) yesterday.
"Unfortunately a majority of the senior positions in these departments and
agencies are being occupied by non-Sabahans.
"The Immigration Department too is under the control of the Federal
government as the present director is a non-Sabahan," he said.
Sabah is no longer self-governing unlike in the past', he said during the
talk entitled "Current Issues, the 13th General Election and the Future of
Sabah" held at a hotel here.
"Sabah has completely lost its autonomy. Important posts including that of
the Chief Minister and the cabinet ministers have to be endorsed by Kuala
Lumpur," he told his audience.
Citing the loss of Immigration control, he claimed that in some cases
Sabahans were even required to travel all the way to the Putrajaya in
Kuala Lumpur to get their identity card approved.
He further claimed that a student who scored 8As in the UPSR exam had to
be referred to Kuala Lumpur for consideration before she could gain a
place in Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM).
He said the loss of the state's rights began during the time of the late
Tun Fuad Stephens when he requested for a review of the said 20-Point
Agreement.
The former Berjaya Party strongman said that because of this (demand),
Stephens was packed off to Australia as the Malaysian High Commissioner to
Australia.
"The Chief Minister post (held by Stephens) was then given to Peter Lo and
Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun was elected as the Minister of Special
Affairs for Sabah," recalled Mohd Noor who was the Finance Minister for
Sabah from 1976 to 1985.
He said his call to review the 20-points Agreement should not be
interpreted to mean that Sabah would pull out of the Federation, but was
rather a call to correct the imbalances that exist between Sabah and Kuala
Lumpur which he believed had transformed Sabah from a rich state to the
poorest in the country.
A review of the 20-Point Agreement would help Sabah regain its past glory,
he said.
By Queville To |