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Unequal Partners: Race, Religion, Domination and Inequality in East Malaysia
Malaysia desperately needs a new perspective and a new narrative to rid itself of the 60-year yoke of regressive policies and politicking that has stifled its advancement. Race, religion and identity politics still dominate the national narrative. The solution to these destructive politics will not come from the peninsula. It is Sabah and Sarawak, with its history of racial harmony and religious tolerance that we must look to for that new perspectives, direction, and leadership. Talk of ketuanan Melayu and the supremacy of one race or religion is anathema to the people of Borneo states. These West Malaysian narratives have presented a real threat to the racial and religious harmony we have enjoyed in East Malaysia. In Sabah and Sarawak, there is no concept of a single dominant race, as we are all citizens of the nation called Malaysia with equal rights. Sabah and Sarawak did not join Malaysia, the two states were equal partners in its formation. Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak gave birth to this nation together; without Sabah and Sarawak, there is no Malaysia. It is time the federal government acknowledges the massive contribution of Sabah and Sarawak, especially its oil resources, to the wealth of the nation.
209 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 27, 2025
This book is a collection of articles published in newspapers. Personally, I don’t like this type of book because the arguments are not in-depth from one chapter to another.
The author, a Sabahan, has experience leading a think tank and working with an oil company. Some interesting points argued by the author include that Malaysia was not formed without Sabah and Sarawak joining Malaya in 1963.
Therefore, Sabah and Sarawak are not states but ‘partners’ with Malaysia. Another point is that the poverty in Sabah and Sarawak is caused by Malaya extracting the states’ oil but marginalizing their fate.
The author also doesn’t recognize the social contract and 1957 Independence because, according to him, the formation of Malaysia is through the Malaysia Agreement 1963. The Malay language as the National Language was not a priority because the language is the state’s absolute right.
The same applies to Islam as the Federal Religion, which was not recognized in Sabah and Sarawak due to the plurality of races there.
The author criticizes PAS and UMNO for fighting for Malay and Islamic dominance. PAS is labelled as an extremist Islamic party, while UMNO is seen as a corrupt Malay dominance party. Additionally, the author criticizes the divided, power-hungry, and racist Peninsula politics, contrasting it with the more pluralistic and tolerant politics in Sabah and Sarawak.
In this case, Sarawak is luckier because it successfully blocked UMNO from entering the state. Unlike Sarawak, Sabah has suffered because UMNO from Peninsula entered and administered the state.
I agree with some points made by the author, who sees the political trend in the Peninsula as divided, power-hungry, and corrupt. However, I don’t agree with the author’s statement that Peninsula politics caused the damage in the state.
Corruption happens not only in the Peninsula but also among the state’s politicians. In the final chapters of this book, the author also criticizes Sabah politicians for corruption and other issues.
Therefore, it is unfair to solely blame Peninsula politicians for poverty.
Regarding racial politics, the author criticizes Peninsula political parties for being characterized by racial politics among Malays, Chinese, and Indians.
He also criticizes Peninsula politics as identity politics. I beg to differ in this case. If Peninsula politics is identified as identity politics, Borneo politics, as fought by the author, is also a form of identity politics.
Some points I like from this book are the author’s views that verify my findings in my previous book. I wrote that Malays were hallucinated by the majority number from the population because the number was combined between Malays and Bumiputera, while in politics, the majority was divided. In Borneo, Malay and Islam are not priorities, while in the Peninsula, these two elements influence voters.
Perhaps many readers predict that Sabah and Sarawak are preparing to secede from Malaysia or follow Singapore. However, I beg to differ. Sabah and Sarawak will not secede from Malaysia.
The author, a Sabahan, has experience leading a think tank and working with an oil company. Some interesting points argued by the author include that Malaysia was not formed without Sabah and Sarawak joining Malaya in 1963.
Therefore, Sabah and Sarawak are not states but ‘partners’ with Malaysia. Another point is that the poverty in Sabah and Sarawak is caused by Malaya extracting the states’ oil but marginalizing their fate.
The author also doesn’t recognize the social contract and 1957 Independence because, according to him, the formation of Malaysia is through the Malaysia Agreement 1963. The Malay language as the National Language was not a priority because the language is the state’s absolute right.
The same applies to Islam as the Federal Religion, which was not recognized in Sabah and Sarawak due to the plurality of races there.
The author criticizes PAS and UMNO for fighting for Malay and Islamic dominance. PAS is labelled as an extremist Islamic party, while UMNO is seen as a corrupt Malay dominance party. Additionally, the author criticizes the divided, power-hungry, and racist Peninsula politics, contrasting it with the more pluralistic and tolerant politics in Sabah and Sarawak.
In this case, Sarawak is luckier because it successfully blocked UMNO from entering the state. Unlike Sarawak, Sabah has suffered because UMNO from Peninsula entered and administered the state.
I agree with some points made by the author, who sees the political trend in the Peninsula as divided, power-hungry, and corrupt. However, I don’t agree with the author’s statement that Peninsula politics caused the damage in the state.
Corruption happens not only in the Peninsula but also among the state’s politicians. In the final chapters of this book, the author also criticizes Sabah politicians for corruption and other issues.
Therefore, it is unfair to solely blame Peninsula politicians for poverty.
Regarding racial politics, the author criticizes Peninsula political parties for being characterized by racial politics among Malays, Chinese, and Indians.
He also criticizes Peninsula politics as identity politics. I beg to differ in this case. If Peninsula politics is identified as identity politics, Borneo politics, as fought by the author, is also a form of identity politics.
Some points I like from this book are the author’s views that verify my findings in my previous book. I wrote that Malays were hallucinated by the majority number from the population because the number was combined between Malays and Bumiputera, while in politics, the majority was divided. In Borneo, Malay and Islam are not priorities, while in the Peninsula, these two elements influence voters.
Perhaps many readers predict that Sabah and Sarawak are preparing to secede from Malaysia or follow Singapore. However, I beg to differ. Sabah and Sarawak will not secede from Malaysia.
August 1, 2025
This book consist of a collection of articles, which for me served as an amazing resource to understand the grievances of Sarawak and Sabah.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews