Defend the country's sovereignty, explain to the people about Sulu claims - Anifah
KOTA KINABALU - Former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has called for the people of Sabah to unite and urge the government to defend the country's sovereignty following the seizure of a Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) subsidiary in Azerbaijan by the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate.
He said the issue centred around the sovereignty and national security especially to the people of the state as the foundation of the claim was Sabah.
He stressed that even though the Cabinet has established a special task force to investigate the matter and Petronas has released a statement explaining that its assets were disposed and returned, but the people deserved to know the whole story.
"The seizure was based on Sabah's claims that went unrecognised. The fact that the assets were seized tantamounted to foreign intervention which disrespected the claims.
"What else could be seized by the heirs with the help of a foreign country? Can they seize the land of Sabah too? When that happens, what will happen to the people in Sabah and will they become beggars in their own land?.
"This is something the government must explain to all of us," he said in a statement on Thursday.
The former Kimanis MP said the motion on the issue which was presented by Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis should be allowed for a debate in Parliament.
"It is unwise to reveal Malaysia's strategy on how to handle the issue.
"But how long should we remain silent about it? Malaysians especially Sabahans want to know whether our sovereignty has been violated or not and whether the government is doing what they could to protect the sovereignty.
"We are not asking the government to disclose confidential information during the debate. I am sure each MP knows that some things are confidential and only to be disclosed to senior Cabinet members," he said.
He was referring to a statement by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun who defended his decision to reject the motion to debate the issue.
Anifah said the MPs have the right to debate the issue in Parliament as they represent the people.
"I understand the motion has been submitted to the Speaker's office and I hope the Speaker will allow it to be debated.
"What is the point of practicing democracy if the fundamental question of our sovereignty is not debatable," he added.
The Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president said the party was ready to work with any political party or non-governmental organisations in pursuing the issue.
"The issue is popular among the people of Sabah regardless of religion, race or political affiliation. It is about our sovereignty and our security.
"We will work with anyone who want to see this through. This is for the future of Sabah. We need reassurance that the government is taking Sabah's security seriously," he said.
