Sabah activists meet barred lawyer in Labuan

United Kingdom-based Human Rights Foundation Malaysia Adviser Daniel John Jambun said he and others who want a change in the way the Federal Government treats Sabah and Sarawak, had in principle agreed to support the peninsula-based ABU (Anything But Umno) movement.

"We held a series of talks with one of the ABU leaders, lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim, in Labuan on Tuesday," he said.

However, he said, more is to be fine-tuned by the two major stakeholders in Sabah's current opposition front, the United Borneo Front (UBF) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

"We agreed in principle to support this ABU campaign because Umno has shown that it has been making bad decisions and policies against Sabahans and Sarawakians in the past 48 years we are in this Federation," he said.

"The very fact that both Sabah and Sarawak are the poorest states now speak volumes of what Umno-led Barisan Nasional has done to our gas and oil resources.

"So we agree that Umno must go at this coming general election," said Jambun. Local singer-activist Atama was also present.

Haris was barred from entering Sabah, as well as Sarawak before, as the state authority deemed him to be a threat to its own security.

"At this moment we might have a slight refinement on the name ABU for East Malaysia.

Some of us had wanted "UBA" which could mean "change" but also stands for United Borneo Alliance to underline that we want a restoration of the way the Federal Government treats us, as equal partners and not wanting us more and more as merely subservient to the majority party in the peninsula," he said.

"So, it is not just "Anything But Umno" but we want a real change, a restoration of the special rights and position of Sabah and Sarawak within the Federation, including our autonomy power," he said.

Jambun also said ABU organisers in the peninsula are set to throw their support behind Pakatan Rakyat, but that opposition leaders in East Malaysia, especially Sabah, who support ABU are more keen to support state-based parties.

Sources: Daily Express Online Sabah.