Sabah Sarawak Union - United Kingdom

KOTA KINABALU, March 20 ― Frustrated and tired of being denied rights in their own land, the four volunteers of the outlawed Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) movement now say they are willing to go to jail in order for their views to be heard.

Jemmy Liku Markus Ratu, 32, Erick Jack William, 28, Joseph Kolis, 29 and Azrie Situ, 24, were charged last week under the Sedition Act for being in possession of pamphlets allegedly propagating Sabah’s secession from the federation.

“If fighting for our rights will land us in jail, then so be it. We have to do what it takes to be heard. This is the sacrifices we have to make for the cause we believe in,” said Azrie, the youngest of the four.

“People get the wrong impression that we are pushing for secession, because of the Facebook group name (SSKM, or Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia), but it is just a name to attract attention.

“What we are really aiming to do is to spread awareness of the formation of Malaysia and the breach of the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” Erick told Malay Mail Online.

According to Erick, all SSKM wants to is a thorough review of the agreement, and whether its conditions were being adhered to.

“How is expressing ourselves and fighting for our rights seditious?” he asked.

Despite facing the possibility of being thrown in jail for a maximum of 18 months or a fine of RM2,000 or both, the four remain committed to SSKM’s goals.

Jemmy, a half-Kadazan, half-Timorese said that they knew the risks getting into the movement, which they claimed were under a UK-based NGO, Sabah-Sarawak Union, founded by Doris Jones, the woman wanted by police here for allegedly masterminding the SSKM movement online.

“Someone has to do it, and we are tired of relying on our leaders who do not seem to understand what we are going through, and the struggles we face,” he said.

The litany of grievances cited by the four are not new ― land grabs, the influx of illegal immigrants, comparative lack of infrastructure and development, distortion of historical facts regarding Malaysia’s formation as well as oil royalty rights.

According to them, the SSKM movement on Facebook has attracted like-minded Sabahans of all races and religions and age groups.

The SSKM group page itself has garnered over 32,000 “Likes” while more supporters “follow” their leader Doris Jones’s profile for motivation and support.

“Everyone does things on their own willing. During the recent incident in Tuaran, there were many of us, up to 50, and everyone came on their own.

“We didn’t even know who else was part of the group,” said Azrie, adding that the bail amount of RM10,000 each for court was raised entirely from volunteer’s donations.

The four were also part of the “Tuaran 9” who were arrested for allegedly possessing seditious pamphlets last February in the Tuaran tamu grounds.

Their lawyer, Tengku Fuad Ahmad, said that the four were clearly very dedicated to their cause and were ready to go to jail for it.

“I have never met such  people who are so very sincerely committed to the issue of Sabah's rights within Malaysia. 

“My duty is strictly limited to defending them but one cannot help but respect the four because at heart they are idealists; persons committed to the protection and promotion of Sabah rights,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail Online.

All four had pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 4 (2) of the Sedition Act 1948. The hearing is on May 18 to 22.

Source: http://m.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/secession-group-says-willing-to-go-to-jail-to-uphold-sabah-rights#sthash.uUfua5Z1.5PgHoUFX.dpuf

KOTA KINABALU: UK-based Borneo rights activist Doris Jones, 46, who heads the Sabah Sarawak Union UK, told BBC News Radio Northampton on Friday that she doesn’t understand why Malaysia doesn’t want to allow Sabah and Sarawak to go from the list of states in the Federation, so that they can stand on their own two feet. “It’s a big question.”

BBC claimed that Jones was leading the campaign in the UK for independence back home on behalf of “some people in Sabah and Sarawak”. The station did not elaborate.

“If they don’t let us go, then we have the right to go independent,” said Jones who manages the Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) Page on Facebook. “We are countries which can be on our own like Singapore and Brunei. We are entitled to stand on our own two feet.”

She was being interviewed, on repression of human rights and free speech in Borneo, on the eve of a peaceful protest outside the Malaysian High Commission in London. She explained the difficulties of running a campaign at home from the other side of the world.

“We are not being allowed to practice freedom of speech and freedom of association. If you do, you end up in prison. There can be torture until you can die.”

The rights activist also stressed that Interpol is not after her as made out by the Malaysian Government in the local media but conceded that she may be arrested under the Sedition Act if she returns home. Her family has not been in contact with her since their mobile phones have allegedly been taken away.

“I am not stopping the campaign because of their intimidation. It’s their way of doing things. It’s not that I don’t love my family.”

SSKM have between 200 and 300 volunteers in Sabah. About 14 of them have since been hauled up but released and may face unspecified charges. “Five of them were arrested at a petrol station. They had nothing on them. The first group had only pen and paper with them for people to sign a Petition,” said Jones. “The goal of this campaign is for us to stand on our own feet.”

Jones, who has been abroad the last two decades and led a campaign for the past five years for independence, told the radio station that she was about ten years old when she realised that something was not right about Sabah and Sarawak being in a Federation with the peninsula. “We were not allowed to say anything,” she said. “Racism, discrimination. There’s no democracy.”

BBC said that Interpol, in a statement, told the radio station that they have never been contacted by the Malaysian Government on Doris Jones.

The Foreign Office, in a similar statement, said that they will stand up for the human rights of anyone and this includes the right to free speech and freedom of association. “Anyone in the UK who’s being harassed or threatened by anyone should report to the police. We support the right of anyone to express themselves in free speech without any threat or intimidation.”

“We, along with our EU partners, continue to urge the Malaysian Government to pursue laws and practices that foster tolerance and mutual respect.”

The Malaysian High Commission declined comment.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/03/09/doris-jones-vows-to-free-sabah-sarawak/

Pada awal tahun 1962 wakil Parti Rakyat Brunei telah datang ke Kg.Lubuk menyeru rakyat Weston yang rata-ratanya berketurunan etnik Brunei agar menyertai perjuangan Parti Rakyat Brunei menentang pemerintahan koloni British, bagi menuntut kemerdekaan dan menubuhkan Persekutuan Borneo iaitu Brunei, Sabah dan Sarawak. Walaupun mendapat sokongan rakyat dan mendapat kerusi penuh dalam parlimen Brunei, usaha menuntut hak kemerdekaan rakyat Borneo ini dihalang oleh kuasa koloni British, jesteru sebuah angkatan Tentera Nasional Kalimantan Utara (BorneoUtara) telah ditubuhkan diseluruh Borneo Utara bagi persediaan menuntut kemerdekaan. Atas dasar perjuangan ini dan semangat patriotik terhadap Sabah, hampir kesemua warga Weston bangkit menyertai perjuangan ini.

Setelah wakil Parti Rakyat Brunei datang ke Kg.Lubuk seramai lima orang yang diketuai oleh Leftenan Hj Mukti dari Kg Lubuk,Sarjen Major Othman Bin Hj Ismail dan rakan telah dihantar ke Kuala Belait, Brunei untuk menjalani latihan ketenteraan selama dua minggu. Senjata, uniform dan bom buatan sendiri telah diberikan sebelum kembali ke Weston untuk merekrut anggota dan menuntut ilmu persilatan dan ilmu kebal dari seorang berbangsa Timur Indonesia bernama Omar.

Pada 7 Disember 1962 Sarjan Major Othman Bin Hj Ismail bergerak dari Kg Lubuk setelah menerima arahan dari pusat mengetuai sebuah pasukan TNKU untuk menawan dan menyerang balai polis Weston pada masa itu hanya dikawal oleh seorang anggota polis Awang Tengah. Beliau ditawan dan diikat, senjatanya greener shotgun telah dirampas oleh Sarjen Major Othman, kesemua senjata senapang patang dan rifel telah dirampas oleh pihak Insurgen TNKU.

8 Disember 1962 Sarjan Major Othman Bin Hj Ismail mengambil kedudukan strategik sekitar Kg Lingkungan antara yang turut serta ialah Rahman Bin Hj Ismail ,Idris Bin Matasan,Lamit Bin Ajak, Jepun Bin Besar dan Tassim Bin Jaffar. Serangan bermula pada sekitar 9:00 pagi apabila peninjau TNKU telah menyedari kehadiran sebuah kenderaan Land Rover Polis membawa Pasukan North Borneo Mobile Police seramai 6-8 orang menuju ke lokasi mereka dan berhenti tidak jauh dari kedudukan serangan hendap, tanpa disedari Pasukan Polis Sarjen Major Othman menggunakan .22 rifel telah memulakan serangan dengan menembak kearah kenderaan land rover, pihak polis terpaksa membalas tembakan kearah insurgen. Semasa pertempuran Abdul Rahman telah menyalakan fius dan melontar bom buatan sendiri kearah kenderaan polis, walaubagaimana bom tersebut berjaya dibaling semula dan meletup kearah selamat, hasil dari keberanian seorang anggota polis dengan beraninya mengutip bom tersebut semasa tembakan bertubi-tubi dilepaskan oleh anggota insurgen TNKU kearah pasukannya. Pertempuran berlanjutan selama 30 minit ini berakhir dengan kedua pihak berundur tanpa sebarang kecederaan.

Sarjen Major Othman selepas pertempuran Lingkungan dengan seorang dirinya bergerak ke Limbang untuk memohon bantuan dari Pusat Tentera TNKU, setibanya di Limbang beliau diarah untuk bergerak ke balai polis Limbang yang ditawan dan telah diberikan senjata dan bantuan seramai 20 anggota TNKU etnik Iban Sarawak kembali ke Weston. Beliau kembali ke Weston dan mendapati ianya telah ditawan semula oleh pihak polis dan kebanyakkan insurgen TNKU telah ditawan, beliau mengarahkan 20 anggota TNKU Iban untuk kembali semula diiringi oleh Pak Cik beliau bernama Ghani Bin Hj Ismail.

Sarjen Major Othman setibanya di Weston telah bertemu semula dengan beberapa orang bawahnya dan mengarahkan anggotanya untuk bersembunyi di sekitar hutan Kg.Lubuk untuk persediaan melancarkan serangan gerilla ke atas kedudukan Pasukan Polis di Weston. Hanya selepas Ibu bapa serta jaminan daripada pegawai British sekiranya beliau menyerah akan diberikan pengampunan barulah beliau dan anggota lain menyerah.

Sarjen Major Othman Bin Hj Ismail setelah menyerah diri ,beliau didakwa dan didapati bersalah atas kesalahan merompak, memiliki senjata tanpa permit dan mencetus huru-hara oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Kerajaan dan telah dijatuhkan hukuman penjara selama lima tahun dan tiga tahun keatas insurgen yang lain. Beliau merasa tertipu dengan janji pegawai British yang menjanjikan pengampunan, selepas setahun beliau melarikan diri dari penjara Kepayan menuju ke Soloo (Mindanau) dimana beliau tinggal selama dua tahun, keadaan hidup yang lebih sengsara berbanding di Sabah telah membuatkan beliau mengambil keputusan kembali dan menyerah diri di Labuan. Hukuman 5 tahun kembali dikenakan keatas beliau dan beliau menghabiskan tempoh penjara selama lima tahun.

Pra Konfontasi Indonesia-Brunei-British-Malaysia(Malaya/Sabah, Sarawak)sebenarnya bermula dari Sabah seawal dari 7 Disember 1962 serangan keatas Balai Polis Weston, pemberontakan Limbang berlaku pada 8 Disember 1962.

Kenyataan direkod oleh penyelidik bebas:-

Source: Sabah Historical Research And Preservation Group