The people of Sabah must have wondered how the Sabah Barisan Nasional leaders could have so misled Mahathir and so isolated him from the true feelings of all the communities in Sabah on the ground that Mahathir could say about the new rotation formula: "They seem very very happy. No one raised any questions."
This is because the so-called new "2:1:1" Sabah Chief Minister rotation formula to replace the original "1:1:1" formula is actually as "3:1:1" formula to the advantage of UMNO and unfair to both the Chinese and Kadazandusun communities in fair and equitable power-sharing among the three communities in Sabah.
The new rotation cycle, which must include the two-year term of office of Datuk Osu Sukam, would give UMNO three turns at the rotation as compared to one each for the Kadazandusun and Chinese communities.
Furthermore, the introduction of the new formula without allowing the Kadazandusun community to occupy the Chief Minister's post for the full two years in the original "1:1:1" formula is another injustice to the Kadazandusun community.
If it is true that there had not been a single voice of dissent or unhappiness about the new rotation formula, then something is very wrong with the Prime Minister's feedback system as clearly none of his Sabah Barisan Nasional leaders could be trusted to tell him the truth.
It is not too late for Mahathir to make amends by:
a.. deferring the appointment of Chong Kah Kiat as Chief Minister by 14 months and to allow the full completion of the first cycle of two-year rotation of the post among the three communities with a Kadazandusun Chief Minister completing the outstanding 14-month unexpired term; and
b.. review of the new "3:1:1" rotation system as it is manifestly unfair in favouring UMNO at the expense of the Kadazandusun and Chinese communities.
(26/3/2001)