Analyst: Third capital proposal only looks good on paper

KUCHING (Jan 28): The proposal to establish another federal capital in Borneo may look good on paper, but it is actually ‘a bad idea’, said political analyst Prof James Chin.

This comment was made in response to the suggestion by Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail during the debate on the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong’s address in Dewan Rakyat recently, where she proposed for another federal capital to be set up in East Malaysia to complement Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

She added that such a move would put Malaysia on par with South Africa, which has three capital cities: Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein.

In his view, Chin said Rodziah did not fully understand the South Africa example that she had cited.

“Although she has quoted that South Africa has three different capitals, the reason for that is the foundation of South Africa was very different from that of Malaysia.

“Secondly, the system has actually not worked very well,” he said, pointing out that the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa, is located in Johannesburg rather than in Bloemfontein, the designated capital.

“Past reports also showed that the people of Parliament had suggested consolidating the three capitals to one, in view of logistical and cost issues,” he added.

Chin also disclosed that Malaysia already experienced the challenges of creating a new capital with Putrajaya.

“Half the ministries refused to relocate from Kuala Lumpur.

“To set up another capital in East Malaysia, while it may sound like it being a recognition given to the people of East Malaysia, it is actually a very bad idea and will create more resentment over the long run due to the cost implications.

“In reality, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur will still be regarded as the national capitals; nobody outside Malaysia will refer to Kuching or Kota Kinabalu as a capital,” he stressed.

According to Chin, symbolic gestures like creating a new capital do little for practical governance or regional development.

“Instead, what Sabah and Sarawak truly need is recognition as the federation’s founding states, fair parliamentary representation, and control over their continental shelves; issues that carry tangible benefits.

Nevertheless, Chin also acknowledged the proposal as reflecting the growing awareness of the historical significance of Sabah and Sarawak in the Federation of Malaysia.

“For a federal MP to raise this issue, it means that the status of Sabah and Sarawak in the Federation is rising; otherwise, nobody would talk about this.

“In other words, there’s more awareness of the historical grievances in Sabah and Sarawak,” he added.

In the Dewan Rakyat debate on Monday, Rodziah said the proposed capital in Borneo could serve as a hub for federal judicial institutions and international arbitration.

She also said the move could boost the economies of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the development in the rural and remote areas, and also help reduce urban congestion and infrastructure pressure in Peninsular Malaysia.