Once again, Sabah finds itself watching from the sidelines while decisions with profound implications for its sovereignty and resources are made in Putrajaya. You’d think by now the memo about “consult the state” would’ve at least made it into someone’s inbox. Maybe it got lost under a pile of international flight itineraries.
The revelation that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim allegedly struck a "mutual understanding" with Indonesia over the disputed Ambalat block without meaningful consultation with Sabah is deeply troubling. Deputy Chief Minister Jeffrey Kitingan is right: the Prime Minister owes Sabahans a full explanation.
Jeffrey Kitingan is no stranger to Sabah's political landscape nor to controversy. He was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for nearly four years in the early 1990s during Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure, linked to alleged secessionist movements. He has also faced investigation by the MACC over Sabah Foundation matters, a case that was eventually dropped. At one point, he lived under the cloud of a DNAA (Discharge Not Amounting to Acquittal) for years, before being fully acquitted. Despite this history, he remained active in politics, once serving as PKR Vice President before leaving the party to form Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR Sabah). His long career, filled with both legal battles and political reinventions, makes him a seasoned if sometimes polarizing figure one who continues to speak up on Sabah’s autonomy and federal fairness.
Now finally, your so called Sabah leaders can see how this Prime Minister treats Sabah. He won't allow the Malaysia Agreement 1963 to be fully enforced, and now he doesn’t even bother acknowledging Sabah’s rights. It's becoming painfully clear: Anwar and his gang of political elites are treating Sabahans and Sarawakians like second class citizens. The message is loud and clear federalism is a one way street.
If Malaysia has its maritime rights, so does Sabah and Sarawak. Let’s be clear they are equal partners in this federation. Not appendages. Not subsidiaries. Three regions, three voices, and three shares of rights. Anything less is a breach of the spirit of Malaysia.
But sorry Jeffrey, Anwar is very busy. He’s currently gallivanting across Paris, Italy, and Brazil with a convoy of business leaders. You’ll have to wait patiently until comes back, when he returns hopefully with souvenirs and answers. We too are waiting for him to announce the new Chief Justice, who has already retired, and another who’s soon packing up.
Apparently, local concerns like that on again, off again SST, or that little matter of sovereignty aren’t quite urgent. Attending the BRICS Summit in Brazil, where Malaysia isn’t even a member (unlike Indonesia), seems to be higher up the priority list. Who knew we were now measuring national leadership by international conference appearances?
It also looks like the Prime Minister is more interested in keeping his Indonesian friends happy by handing out pricey gifts, even if that means quietly sidelining Sabah. That’s not diplomacy that’s daylight surrender.
Of course, all problems can be resolved just throw a few million ringgit here and there. Grease makes the world go around, doesn’t it? But this isn’t a toll gate deal this is national sovereignty. East Malaysians aren’t here to be bought off with symbolic gestures or conditional grants.
Ambalat is no ordinary piece of sea. It’s a hydrocarbon rich zone bordering Sabah’s eastern maritime boundary a resource that should be handled with full transparency, legal care, and most importantly, with Sabah’s involvement. This isn’t just about oil and gas; it’s about respect, federalism, and the rights of East Malaysians.
For all the scrutiny Sabah leaders get, let’s pause and look at the scale. RM3.96 million allegedly misused by a local politician? That’s less than 0.1% of the RM4 billion or more that flows out of Sabah every year from its natural resources. So who’s really robbing Sabah? Why are whistleblowers and enforcement agencies so quick to parade Sabah politicians but remain silent on the much larger siphoning by federal institutions? It seems when Sabahans take even a sliver from their own land, it’s a scandal. But when billions are extracted and sent to Putrajaya, it’s called policy.. It’s a hydrocarbon rich zone bordering Sabah’s eastern maritime boundary a resource that should be handled with full transparency, legal care, and most importantly, with Sabah’s involvement. This isn’t just about oil and gas; it’s about respect, federalism, and the rights of East Malaysians.
Now, let’s get serious. Anwar’s disregard for Sabah’s right to Ambalat and his decision to sign a joint agreement with Indonesia without even bothering to loop in Sabah isn’t just bad form, it’s borderline betrayal. It gives the impression that Sabah is just a fixed deposit come election season, but conveniently forgotten the rest of the year.
He owes an explanation not only to Sabah but to all Malaysians. His increasingly top down approach to power needs to be checked starting with Parliament asserting control. That includes removing the Attorney General’s Office and the MACC from his direct purview and making them accountable to Parliament. And let’s not forget it’s time for genuine independence in judicial appointments, not shadowy political chess.
If the Prime Minister has indeed bypassed Sabah’s leadership on this issue, it is not only unconstitutional it is politically reckless. It rekindles long standing frustrations about how federal decisions continue to marginalize Sabah and Sarawak, especially in matters of natural resource management.
A joint exploration agreement with Indonesia on a disputed maritime zone without clarity, without parliamentary disclosure, and without the participation of the affected state is a recipe for distrust.
The Prime Minister must clarify:
- What exactly was agreed upon with Indonesia?
- Was Sabah consulted or briefed?
- What is the federal strategy for safeguarding Malaysia’s territorial claims in Ambalat?
It’s not enough to talk about “Madani” values of inclusiveness and fairness while ignoring Sabah's rightful stake. Words must be matched by transparent governance.
This isn’t just a Sabah issue. It’s a national one. And Malaysians deserve answers not after the deal is done, but before decisions are made. Because if Sabah is good enough to be a vote bank, it’s good enough to be respected.
Lately, the Prime Minister is doing everything wrong. If this trend continues the arrogance, the sidelining, the secret deals the end may be nearer than he thinks.
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