Sarawak has potential to follow Singapore, says Sarawak activist

Peter John Jaban

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Jam 28:  Sarawak has the potential to follow Singapore should circumstances require it by negotiating peacefully, asserting its rights and ensuring any legal,  constitutional, and in the best interest of it’s people.

This is the view of Peter John Jaban, who held that if the marriage (the union Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya to form Malaysia) is not working well, it is best to divorce amicably.

To Saya Anak Sarawak founder Peter John Jaban, there is nothing wrong, unreasonable, or extreme about Sarawak demanding the rights and guarantees promised to it. 

“These are not new demands, nor are they acts of rebellion. They are constitutional rights and solemn promises made at the formation of Malaysia rights that remain legally valid and morally binding,” says Peter John in supportive of statement of the Works Minister and Kapit MP Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi who held the view that the endless quarrels and bickering in Peninsular Malaysia have become so pervasive that perhaps Sarawak and the rest of the country were “never meant to be one nation”, separated by the South China Sea for a reason.

Peter John said for decades, many of the promises made to Sarawak and Sabah during Malaysia’s formation have been delayed, diluted, or left unfulfilled.

“Sarawak exercised patience, chose dialogue over confrontation, and remained committed to the Federation despite repeated postponements. 

“The current assertion of MA63 rights is not aggression; it is a long-overdue correction of historical imbalance. Demanding what was agreed upon is not divisive,” said Peter John.

To him, it is deeply troubling that when Sarawak finally began to speak more firmly about its rights, the response from certain political figures and their supporters in West Malaysia was not understanding, but defensiveness, radicalisation, and accusations of disloyalty.

“This reaction further proves the very concern being raised that legitimate constitutional discourse is being drowned out by identity politics.

“Sarawak’s demands are rooted in law, history, and partnership. They are about fairness, dignity, and mutual respect, not supremacy or separation. 

“Any attempt to frame these demands as threats to national unity is both misleading and irresponsible,” said Peter John.

He held that true unity cannot be built on silence or submission. It must be built on honouring agreements, respecting differences, and treating partners as equals. 

Sarawak is not asking for more than what was promised. Sarawak is simply asking for what was agreed and asking peacefully, constitutionally, and in good faith, he added.

What is deeply concerning, he said, is that the situation began to worsen significantly when Sarawak started asserting its constitutional rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 

He said legitimate demands for autonomy, fair resource management, and equal partnership were increasingly met with hostility, suspicion, and politicised racial narratives from certain quarters in West Malaysia.

Instead of engaging these demands in good faith, some politicians and their supporters chose to frame Sarawak’s constitutional claims as threats questioning loyalty, stoking fear, and portraying rights-based demands as acts of defiance.

He believes this response exposed an unwillingness to accept Malaysia as a true partnership of equals and the growing hostility is not driven by Sarawak. 

“It is the result of refusal to honour agreements, coupled with political opportunism that exploits race and religion to silence legitimate constitutional discourse.

“Sarawakians and Sabahans are now uncomfortable being drawn into political, ideological, and racial tensions and instability that we did not create.

“These developments have naturally led many Sarawakians to question whether their peace, identity, and future can be adequately protected within a political environment that thrives on division rather than respect,” said Peter John.

He said this sentiment does not arise from hatred or disloyalty. It arises from a desire to safeguard harmony, dignity, and stability values Sarawak has carefully preserved for generations.

If these fundamental issues remain unaddressed, it is inevitable that more Sarawakians will continue to reassess their relationship within the Federation, he warned.  — DayakDaily