Activist raises ‘velvet divorce’ as peaceful path for S’wak, Sabah from Peninsular M’sia

Peter John Jaban

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Jan 31: Sarawak rights activist Peter John Jaban brought up the pursuance of a ‘velvet divorce’ between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak and Sabah, describing it as a peaceful framework for the rightful realisation of East Malaysians’ aspirations.

In a statement, he said that with recent grievances from parliamentarians, activists, and Sarawakians and Sabahans on social media, it is clear that frustration with decades of neglect, broken promises, and marginalisation has reached a breaking point.

He claimed that constitutional rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) remain ignored, which has left East Malaysians to question whether their voices, identity, and future are truly respected.

“Sarawak and Sabah are rich in resources, culture, and diversity, yet decisions affecting their people are too often centralised in Kuala Lumpur, leaving East Malaysians powerless over their own wealth, development, and future,” he said.

He said that federal policies are known to favour Peninsular Malaysia, which has resulted in slower growth, poor rural connectivity, and underinvestment in education and healthcare.

Combined with corruption, abuse of power, and mismanagement, mostly occurring in West Malaysia, he said, this has caused discontent among East Malaysians and has further siphoned resources meant to benefit all Malaysians.

“Sarawak and Sabah could pursue a velvet divorce, which is a peaceful, negotiated separation ensuring dignity, legal safeguards, and fair agreements on resources, finance, trade, and diplomacy.

“This is about respect, justice, equality, and self-determination, not revenge. The people of Sarawak and Sabah deserve a future grounded in equality, transparency, and harmony, where every community is respected, every voice matters, and the will of over 6.9 million East Malaysians is honoured,” he said.

‘Velvet divorce’ refers to the 1992 dissolution of Czechoslovakia, a Central European federation, into two separate states: Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The name originated from the fact that the split of the country into two occurred nearly completely without violence. — DayakDaily