Now will you listen toSabah? — Erna Mahyuni

MARCH 3 — Living on a knife's
edge: that was the Sabahan
reality for the last two weeks.
While Putrajaya played at
diplomacy and our home
minister mugged for the
cameras, many Sabahans were
left angry and confused.

There are intruders on our
doorstep! Why are they not
being chased out?
Do not believe the rumours,
Putrajaya said.
We are hoping for a peaceful
resolution, Putrajaya said.

And now, good men are dead.

My mother, ever the optimist
says, "Let's hope it all turns out
for the best."

But I know that right now she is
checking that the knives are
where she hid them.

Sabahans are not surprised.

Just a few years back, the
Population and Housing Census
Report for 2010 of the Economic
Planning Unit said 27 per cent of
Sabah's population are
foreigners.

Nearly a third of Sabah.

70 per cent of of Sabah's prison
population are also foreigners.
It is the reality Sabahans live
with. Foreigners are
everywhere, with even their
own dedicated settlements.

According to Tan Sri Simon
Sipaun, formerly of SUHAKAM
and currently PROHAM chairman,
when Kampung Ice Box in
Tawau burnt down 25 years
ago, 5000 people lost their
homes.

Only 500 were Sabahan.

Everyone's favourite MP Datuk
Bung Mokhtar Radin's own
constituency of Kinabatangan
numbered about 85,000 as of
June 2005.

Only 25,000 of his constituents
were Malaysians.

To say that Sabahans have seen
it coming is an understatement.
Even now, there are 'black areas'
in the state capital of Kota
Kinabalu that locals will not go.
Enter them at night, residents
are warned, and you might not
see the morning. Not even the
police dare.

For years, Sabahan politicians
from both Barisan Nasional and
the opposition have clamoured
for action. Funnily enough,
illegal immigrants are one of the
few things that has them on the
same page.

Because this is our reality:
Sabahans have been at the
mercy of foreigners for years.
Foreigners who have been aided
and abetted by Putrajaya.
The RCI findings have proven
instead that the sheep have
been asking the wolves for
protection.

While Filipinos are given ICs and
voting rights, many true native
Sabahans in rural areas do not
have birth certificates or
MyKads.

Of course, Sabahans are angry.
Some have even taken to calling
West Malaysians
'semenanjing' (West Malaysian
dogs).

And can you blame them?

Can you blame them for being
angry at Putrajaya's failures? For
its promises that once it took
over the state from the
opposition that things would be
better? Rosy visions of
development and prosperity!

Sabah is still poor. Sabah is still
awash in illegals.

And now Sabahans are cowering
in their homes, living out the
nightmare they knew could be
coming.

If only Putrajaya had listened.

* Erna Mahyuni is a subeditor
with The Malaysian Insider

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