KUALA LUMPUR: A senior politician from Sabah today reminded Pasir Salak Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Tajudddin Abdul Rahman that Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners in the formation of Malaysia.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said although Penisular Malaysia was then known as Tanah Melayu, it is no longer known as such following the formation of Malaysia with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore in 1963.
"What Pasir Salak had said during the debate was from a wrong historical aspect. It is bad for national unity, it is bad for the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030.
"Pasir Salak should stop thinking that the peninsula, is only Malaysia (by excluding Sabah and Sarawak)," the Tuaran MP told reporters at the Parliament media room here today.
Tajuddin had on Monday said that while the rights of non-Malays should be protected, everybody must accept the fact that they live in "Tanah Melayu".
Tajuddin had also said that Malaysians need to accept that Malays are the original citizens (penduduk asal) in the nation.
Wilfred said the peninsula only made up 40 per cent of the landmass of the country with the rest being Sabah and Sarawak.
He also expressed concerns that Sabah and Sarawak would be left out from the country's development agenda if the head of ministries and government agencies shared similar views with Tajuddin.
"We (Sabah and Sarawak) would be reduced to an afterthought."
