PBK slams Zaid Ibrahim: Sarawak, Sabah seats combined cannot even block federal laws — Who controls who?

Voon Lee Shan

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, March 4: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has described remarks by former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim as “fear-based” and an attempt to distort and confuse the public, insisting that what was promised as an equal partnership under the formation of Malaysia has, in practice, operated as central control by the Federation of Malaya, which is clearly reflected in the imbalance of power in Parliament where Sarawak and Sabah’s combined seats cannot even block federal legislation affecting their independence, resources and future.

PBK president Voon Lee Shan, in a statement today, rejected claims of a so-called “Borneo Bloc” conspiring to control Malaya, calling the narrative a convenient political myth.

“There is no such thing as a unified Borneo Bloc acting as one political force to dominate anyone. Both Sarawak and Sabah have been struggling individually and consistently to defend the rights guaranteed to them when Malaysia was formed on Sept 16, 1963,” he said.

Zaid, in a recent social media post, had expressed “admiration” for Sabah and Sarawak, describing their latest political plan, dubbed the “Borneo Bloc”, as a smart strategy to outwit and control Malaya. He also argued that rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) were negotiated decades ago under British oversight and suggested that the two states are now seeking control beyond their original agreements.

Voon countered that the historical record is clear, highlighting that Malaysia was formed as a partnership of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore, and was never intended to be an expansion of Malaya under a new name.

“The Federal Constitution remains fundamentally rooted in the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya, modified to admit new territories. What was promised as an equal partnership has, in practice, operated as central control,” he said.

Pointing towards the current parliamentary composition with Sarawak holding 31 seats and Sabah 25, he stressed that the numbers, even combined, are insufficient to block federal legislation, including laws that directly affect the two Borneo territories.

“This imbalance means Sabah and Sarawak are unable to effectively safeguard their constitutional rights. It has led to growing dissatisfaction and what many describe as political suffocation,” he added.

Voon further argued that control of national policy, Cabinet formation and executive authority remains concentrated in Malaya, while the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah and Sarawak are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong without any institutional pathway for either state to hold the nation’s highest office.

“Symbolism matters. But power structures matter even more,” he said.

On economic sovereignty, Voon cited the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA 1974) as a turning point, claiming it centralised oil and gas resources under Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) and effectively placed them under the authority of the Prime Minister.

“Through the Act and subsequent federal laws on the continental shelf and territorial seas, the economic lifeblood of Sabah and Sarawak was transferred away from the people of Borneo,” he said.

He questioned how Sabah and Sarawak could be accused of controlling Malaya when their parliamentary representation alone prevents them from dominating federal decision-making.

“How could Borneo territories, even if there were such a bloc, control Malaya?” he asked. “This is not a matter of sentiment. It is a matter of constitutional reality, political representation and economic sovereignty.”

Voon acknowledged a rising political tide in Sabah and Sarawak, saying it is increasingly difficult to convince people that the two territories are not being treated as colonies.

However, he stressed that PBK’s call is not extremist nor anti-federal, but grounded in the principles of equal partnership as envisioned in 1963.

“Sarawak is not a colony. Sabah is not a colony. Malaysia was never meant to be a unitary state dominated by one region,” he said.

PBK, he added, rejects narratives portraying Bornean self-determination as aggression and dismisses the notion of a Borneo Bloc seeking control over Malaya.

“The real imbalance lies elsewhere. If Malaysia is to endure as a just federation, it must confront its structural inequalities. True unity cannot be built upon centralisation that sidelines founding partners,” he said.

Voon concluded by reiterating PBK’s stance: “Restore independence. Restore resource rights. Restore equal partnership. Only then can Malaysia become what it was meant to be — a federation of equals, not an enlargement of Malaya.” — DayakDaily