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Efforts
must not stop if Pairin unable, unwilling
Monday, May 17, 2004 2004 (Source: Daily Express)
THE
call by Datuk Pairin on all Kadazandusun Murut leaders
to unite and set aside their political difference is timely and, indeed, should
be commended.
However,
such call will remain an illusion until such ideals are matched with deeds. To realize
this aspiration our leaders could not afford to be merely rhetoric reflecting
and gloating on past achievement.
Unity
will not be accomplished in this manner.
True
KDM unity was, perhaps, at it's highest during PBS administration but I suppose
it was largely due to the party begin at the helm to the government of Sabah. It
was not due to PBS per se but primarily because it was in power.
Nevertheless,
KDM was very much like KDM at the period, if I may recall.
Nonetheless,
let as not dwell on the past because the past no matter what it contained is
past, it cannot be relived.
I
fully agree with Datuk Wilfred Bumburing's call that Pairin should take the
initiative in view of his status as one of the most experienced and respected
Kadazandusun leaders.
Just
as Pairin is sincere in his call as asserted by his deputy, I have no doubt,
that Wilfred's invitation for Pairin to lead is no less honest. However, if
Pairin is unable to his busy schedule as DCM, a Minister as well as an
Assemblyman and Member of Parliament, our end eavourshould not stop here if
indeed we are serious and genuine in our effort.
We
are blessed with other equally capable, charismatic and influential leaders who
can shoulder the responsibilities such as Datuk Clarence Bongkos, Tan Sri Ghani
Gilong, Tan Sri Suffian, Tan Sri Simon Sipaun to name but a few who are no less
involved in promoting KDCA nor less knowledgeable about Kadazandusun Murut
politics.
Let
us do away with the perception that there is only one person who cal lead the
unity agenda.
I
beg to disagree with the call made by some quarters to dissolve other KDM
political parties and unity under PBS. Simply because PBS is not a Kadazandusun
Murut party and if I may quote Dr Maximus Ongkili' press statement on
29.12.2001.
He
said," PBS ia a multiracial party and as far as we concerned, all this
while they (UPKO & PBRS have been projecting themselves as Kadazandusun
Murut parties. So purely based on that we are disqualified from participating in
any merger talk. People say we a Kadazandusun party. That is not true. We a
multiracial party constitutionally.
The
call to dissolve Kadazandusun Murut-based parties is, the fore, against the very
agenda that we are pursuing. The call is the same as asking KDM to unite under,
for example, SAPP or Gerakan, which is also a multiracial party.
Futher,
even if Upko and PBRS are dissolved, under this scenario, another KDM-based
party will eventually emerge because any community in this country or state, in
particular, have problems of their own which can only be best addressed through
a respective racial party. So let us sit down and discuss.
I
fully subscribe to apologising and asking forgiveness if one has committed a
mistake but the call by some quarters for PBS and Upko leaders to do so because
they left PBS to be with Barisan Nasional is inapplicable because their move was
not a mistake.
If
the decision by Upko and leaders to join BN were incorrect, PBS would not have
followed suit. The only difference is that Upko and PBRS leaders were
foresighted, who saw unity and development at a Marco level in 1994.
In
fact, we should be grateful to these leaders for enhancing the entry of PBS in
Barisan Nasional.
The
Unity process can take many forms but to begin with let us start with a small
quorum involving, for example, representatives from the Kadazandusun Murut
political parties as well as cultural association to drew out our unity agenda's
term of reference.
If
we cannot even agree on trivial matter such as who should comprise the quorum,
which sometimes do happen, then we might as well leave such agenda to our next
generation.
Frederik
J. Mosom
Penampang
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