By Erna Mahyuni | The Malaysian Insider
MARCH 6 — To paint the Sabah situation as “virtuous Sabah natives” against “invading foreign terrorists” is far too simplistic.
The reality is as complex as Sabah’s political landscape, enmeshed in history and complicated by the notion of statehood.
Farish Noor explains the complicated history of the various people of North Borneo and the Philippines in his column where he says:
“In the midst of the chest-thumping, saber-rattling jingoism and hyper-nationalism we see rising in both Philippines and Malaysia today, we ought to take a step back and look at ourselves honestly in the face.”
Historically the people of Sabah are a complex mix. With the formation of countries and borders, people who are connected by history and blood are now separated by that thing we call “citizenship.”
Sabah artist Yee I-Lan sums up that divide in one of the pictures from her “Sulu stories” series.
Of the subjects in the photo, Yee says: “One carries Malaysian identity, the other Filipino. They come from the same sea and place and knowledge.”
But while we must acknowledge history, we have to address present realities. Continue reading “Sabah: Mahathir’s failed attempt at social engineering”