If you want shariah, give Sabah and Sarawak autonomy, Upko tells Umno

Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau, deputy president Donald Peter Mojuntin and vice-president Ewon Benedict say Sabah and Sarawak would not have joined Malaysia if it had adopted shariah law in 1963.

PETALING JAYA:

If Umno wants to amend the constitution to expand shariah law, it must first give Sabah and Sarawak greater autonomy so the states can be kept free of religious influence, the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) says.

Responding to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s vow to “empower” shariah law should they achieve a two-thirds parliamentary majority at the next election, Upko said this vision runs counter to the guarantee of religious freedom upon which Malaysia was formed.

“The commitment for a secular and liberal society is reflected in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and enshrined in the Federal Constitution, which all Malaysian parliamentarians have sworn to uphold,” Upko said in a statement.

It said that those instrumental in the formation of Sabah and Sarawak, who came from various religious backgrounds, would have rejected the formation of Malaysia had they known “their countries would become part of an Islamic federation where personal sins would be slapped with heavy shariah punishments.”

“There would not have been a Malaysia. Malaya would have remained just Malaya,” added the statement issued by Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau, deputy president Donald Peter Mojuntin and vice-president Ewon Benedict.

It said that if “Malaya” was adamant on expanding shariah law, Sabah and Sarawak must become autonomous regions with control of their economic resources to provide employment and education opportunities.

“Sabahans and Sarawakians who do not want to be affected by the expansion of shariah laws may then stay home and stay away from Malaya.

“Sabahans and Sarawakians will also not accept any false assurances that they would not be affected if the expansion of shariah law is limited to the Malayan states.”

Upko further called on Umno Sabah, Bersatu Sabah, Parti Bersatu Sabah and STAR to join its stand in defending the rights and freedoms of Borneo.

“Regardless of faith, ethnicity, language and partisanship, Sabahans and Sarawakians must stand as one.”

It warned Umno that should it become “PAS-lite”, it can forget about getting Upko’s support.

“Sabahans and Sarawakians do not accept PAS (here). We will also not accept Umno as ‘PAS-lite’ to helm the federal government. If Umno needs an assurance of that, wait for the results on the night of GE15.”

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If you want shariah, give Sabah and Sarawak autonomy, Upko tells Umno

Umno president's vision of Malaysia runs counter to the guarantee of religious freedom the country was built on, says leaders.