SEPTEMBER 24 — With all the East Malaysian secession talk going around, it has been hard for this Sabahan not to murder well-meaning West Malaysians.

“Finally! It’s time those East Malaysians stand up for themselves.”

“Who asked them to keep voting in BN all this time. It’s their own fault.”

Sometimes it is very hard explaining to West Malaysians who don’t think there should even be this “delineation” between West and East,  that we should just stop calling East Malaysians East Malaysians and refer to us all as Malaysians.

First, Sabah and Sarawak according to the Malaysia Agreement are each equal in stature to the entire Malaysian peninsula. We are not “just states.” 

A vendor at the Donggongon Tamu (Pasar Donggongon) in Penampang, Sabah catches 40 winks during a lull in trading on August 30, 2013. Sabah had been under Opposition rule for two whole terms previously which, according to the columnist, meant being impoverished and sidelined. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Second, we might as well be different countries because I’ll be honest—East Malaysians do think differently from West Malaysians. Our priorities, the way we handle racial and religious differences, the way natives (generally) see life and issues are just not the same.

Just because you do not hear about things happening in East Malaysia does not mean nothing is going on over there. The reality is that most major media organisations are based in the peninsula and their focus is squarely on Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley for the most part.

It is also very rich that whenever Pakatan loses a general election, East Malaysians are demonised as being the “cause.” There are the people who demand that East Malaysia be given fewer seats so they can stop ruining things for the rest of the country apparently.

Sabah, before Penang, before Perak, before Selangor, had been under Opposition rule for two whole terms. Sabahans, as a Twitter user said to me, were brave. Their leaders? Not so much.

Being an Opposition state in the old days meant not the increased efficiency and the (short-lived) euphoria witnessed in Penang and Selangor.

Being an Opposition state in the days of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad meant being impoverished, sidelined and made to suffer until you gave up and “returned” to the welcoming folds of Barisan Nasional.

Here’s the thing: Sabahans were, even after two terrible terms, still willing to keep the Opposition in power for a third term. But our politicians weren’t willing to suffer anymore. Thus in 1994, after PBS had won the election, it lost the state when BN convinced reps to jump to the other side.

And since then, especially with the success of Project IC, Sabahans have pretty much lost the fight to determine our own stance and the welfare of its people to the Peninsula. When even our venerable batu sumpah has been desecrated, what is to stop the Peninsula from continuing to tread on their freedoms?

It is rich that West Malaysians decry East Malaysian “weakness” when they can do nothing to stop the continued arrests under the Sedition Act, where even the IGP can call for action against anyone who “disrespects” him.

These are how things are and I cannot say how or if or when things will change. But here is what I can say to West Malaysians who so easily blame the East for their problems. Sabah and Sarawak have nothing to do with the loss of your freedoms.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.