The Barisan Nasional government should first honour its election pledge in two general elections on power-sharing among the three main communities in Sabah and fully implement the two-year rotation of the post of Sabah Chief Minister among the Malays, Kadazandusuns and the Chinese before introducing the new "2:1:1" or any other formula.
It is not only a grave breach of the Barisan Nasional pledge in two general elections but most unfair to deny the Kadazandusun community the right and opportunity to the full two-year rotation as Chief Minister before the introduction of any new rotation formula.
The Kadazanduzun community had a chief minister for only 10 months in the person of the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun-Murut Organisation (UPKO) president, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, when Sabah state general elections were held in early 1999.
Although Bernard failed to defend his Moyog seat in the 1999 state general election, there was no reason why another Kadazandusun Chief Minister could not be appointed to take up the remaining 14 months of the two-year slot to fulfil the election pledge given in two general elections before introducing any new rotation formula.
Surely, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is not suggesting that the Barisan Nasional could not find a single Kadazandusun to be Sabah Chief Minister for 14 months to honour his pledge in two Sabah state general elections on power-sharing among the three main communities in Sabah - which will be compounding an insult to the Kadazandusun community after short-changing the Kadazandusuns of the Chief Minister’s post for two full years.
I am neither for nor against the Barisan Nasional rotation formula, whether “1:1:1” or “2:1:1” variety. It is the prerogative of the Barisan Nasional to decide whether it wants to continue with the rotation formula for the post of Sabah Chief Minister, or introduce a new variation of the “1:1:1: formula, but it is manifestly unfair and a short-change to the Kadazandusun community to introduce the new “2:1:1” rotation formula for the Sabah Chief Minister before the full completion of the first cycle of the "1:1:1" formula.
The principle involved is not just about a gross injustice to the Kadazandusun community but whether Barisan Nasional election pledges can ever be believed again when the national and Sabah Barisan Nasional parties can disregard the solemn pledge given in two Sabah state general elections on power-sharing in Sabah by rotating the Chief Minister’s post among the state’s three main communities.
This is why Chong Kah Kiat’s swearing-in as Sabah Chief Minister next Tuesday should be deferred by 14 months to allow the Kadazandusun community to complete the two-year slot as Chief Minister in the first cycle before the start of the new “2:1:1” rotation formula.
(22/3/2001)