Activist slams Zahid Ibrahim’s Borneo Bloc comments, calls for ‘Bornean awakening’

KUCHING (March 4): A Sarawak rights activist has strongly criticised former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim over his recent remarks on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), describing them as disrespectful and misleading towards Sabah and Sarawak.

Peter John Jaban said Zaid’s comments were not only disappointing but also insulting and reckless, as they disregarded the constitutional position of East Malaysia.

“As a Sarawakian who has witnessed our people’s struggles first-hand, I find Zaid Ibrahim’s statement offensive and dangerously misleading.

“Sabah and Sarawak are not a ‘burden’ on Malaysia. We are equal partners, bound by MA63, with rights and autonomy that must be respected,” he said in a press statement.

Peter stressed that dismissing legitimate demands for justice, development, and recognition as political inconvenience reflected either ignorance or a deliberate attempt to centralise power at the expense of the Borneo states.

He also took issue with what he described as attempts to frame Sabah and Sarawak’s pursuit of constitutional safeguards as a game of “outwitting Malaya”.

“MA63 was never a political stunt. It is a binding agreement that formed the foundation of Malaysia. Reducing it to sarcasm insults the law, history, and the people of East Malaysia,” he said.

Peter emphasised that Sabah and Sarawak did not “outwit” anyone but instead formed Malaysia as equal partners, with safeguards to protect their autonomy, identity, and resources.

Raising these matters today should not be seen as hostility but as an assertion of rights under the law and the promises upon which the nation was built, he said.

According to him, political parties rooted in Malaya would inevitably prioritise Malayan interests, making it crucial for Sabah and Sarawak to stand united through what he described as a Borneo Bloc.

Peter urged Sarawak leaders, particularly those within Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), to reject narratives that undermine East Malaysia’s constitutional position and instead lead a “Bornean awakening” grounded in equality, dignity, and self-determination within Malaysia.

He added that Zaid’s remarks reinforced the perception that certain Peninsular Malaysian elites continued to view East Malaysian concerns with disdain.

“Malaysia deserves mature and fact-based discourse, not provocative soundbites. National unity cannot be built on sarcasm or mockery. It must be grounded in respect, constitutional integrity and recognition of historical commitments,” he said.

Peter stressed that any genuine commitment to national unity must begin with respecting the rights of Sabah and Sarawak.

“Anything less is a betrayal,” he said.

On March 2, Zaid said in a social media post that the ‘Borneo Bloc’ was an example of how smart Sabahans and Sarawakians “continue to outwit and control Malaya”.

He also said Sabah and Sarawak “now challenge our laws: the Law of the Sea, PDA, Petronas and whatever else” and are claiming “30 items still outstanding from MA63”.

“They said the Borneo Bloc is to give them balance and a negotiating position. No, they already have that; now they want control.

“What do Malaya have? Malay leaders who want to be PM,” he added.