Peninsular-centric view fuels Borneo Bloc misunderstanding, says SUPP’s Ting

MIRI (March 6): Criticism of the Borneo Bloc stems from a Peninsular-centric misunderstanding of Malaysia’s constitutional structure and the founding role of Sarawak and Sabah in the federation, SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew said.

Firing back at recent remarks by former federal law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, Ting said such views dangerously overlook the constitutional safeguards and historical realities upon which Malaysia was built.

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 claimed that Sabah and Sarawak “are challenging the existing Law of the Sea, PDA, Petronas and whatever else” and are claiming “30 items still outstanding from the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).”

Ting retorted that Malaysia did not arise from any expansion of the Federation of Malaya, as it was forged through MA63, under which Sarawak, Sabah, Singapore and Malaya came together as equals to form an entirely new federation.

“Those who dismiss the Borneo Bloc should first revisit the constitutional history of Malaysia. They should recognise that many of the tensions being discussed today arise precisely because the foundational principles of Ma63 were allowed to drift from their original intent over the decades,” he said in a press statement on Thursday.

He said the Borneo Bloc narrative is persistently distorted by a failure to recognise the legitimate role of East Malaysian MPs in championing their regions’ interests at the federal level.

“For far too long, political discourse in Kuala Lumpur has been shaped by a narrow Peninsular-centric perspective that overlooks the constitutional safeguards, historical realities and legitimate aspirations of the Borneo territories,” he said.

Ting said the emergence of a more unified East Malaysian voice in Parliament reflects a sharpening awareness among Borneo leaders of their duty to protect the rights, autonomy and resources of their regions within the federation.

Sarawak remains unwaveringly committed to Malaysia, Ting said, but that commitment rests on the understanding that the country is a federation of partners, not a hierarchy between the centre and the regions.

“When Sabah and Sarawak speak with greater unity in Parliament, it should not be feared or criticised. It should be understood as a legitimate effort to restore the balance envisaged at the birth of the federation,” he said.