KUCHING, Oct 17 — Sarawak for Sarawak (S4S) civil movement leader Peter John Jaban today demanded a Universiti Malaysia Perlis professor apologise for telling Sarawakians to migrate if they are unhappy with Malaysia.
He said Professor Datuk Dr Ramlah Adam insulted all Sarawakians with her remark at a seminar on "History of Sarawak — A Journey to Merdeka: Sarawak in Malaysia" yesterday.
“Does she feel that all Sarawakians should leave their homeland for the peninsular Malaysians to fully occupy?” he asked at a press conference here.
Jaban said her “insulting statement” could also be interpreted as challenging Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem who has been vocal in raising issues concerning Sarawak's rights and powers.
He said S4S civil movement and other civil societies have been raising up the erosion of Sarawak's rights and powers as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement, Malaysia Act, Inter-Governmental Committee Report and Cobbold Commission Reports and their recommendations.
“There is nothing wrong in us demanding the return of these rights and powers which have taken by the federal government over the last 53 years,” he said.
He said Sarawakians chose to join Malaysia and consequently have the right to demand what was promised under the Malaysia Agreement.
“We will not leave Malaysia just because someone from West Malaysia does not accept our position and our demands,” he said.
Ramlah, presenting a paper on Sarawak in Malaysia, has said that issues such regional politics were being deliberately raised to oppose the Malaysian nation concept and could affect the stability of the country.
Jaban and his wife Karen Shepherd, who is also a S4S member, were among of over 400 participants at the seminar.
* Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated Universiti Malaysia Perlis as UM in the headline and has been corrected. Malay Mail Online apologises for any confusion the error may have caused.
