PEOPLE'S POWER: Dr.Jeffrey Kitingan/Cigma-HRP Consensus on the Third Force

Wed, 14th April 2010, Kuala Lumpur

In a 3 hour meeting today night at the HRP office, the Common Interest Group, Malaysia (Cigma) and the Human Rights Party (HRP) reached a consensus of the need for a third force in Malaysian politics.

The East Malaysian delegation led by Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan said ‘the minorities in Malaysia including Sabahans, Sarawakians, Indians and Orang Asli, have common interests as they have been marginalised and there is a need to work together’. He was accompanied by activists Nicholas Bawin of Sarawak, Daniel John Jambun of Sabah, Granda Aing, Kanul Ginpol, and Saidil Simoy.

Among the issues discussed were the presence of 1.7 million foreigners in Sabah which amounts to about 55% of Sabah’s population and who drain resources, Project IC, the disasterous rotation of CMs, the issues relating to Orang Asli in the peninsula which Cigma is championing, the plunder of Sarawak’s resources, the rising of Dayak consciousness and Dayak nationalism, the neglect of the 20 Point and 18 Point Agreements with Sabah and Sarawak, the need for review of the Malaysia Agreement as Britain is also a signatory to the Agreements, as well as the upcoming Hulu Selangor by-election where the Orang Asli form a critical 2,000 votes.

The Human Rights Party led by it’s protem Sec-Gen P. Uthayakumar thanked and briefed the delegates about the discrimination and marginalisation of the Indians including the non issuance of birth certificates and identity cards without which education employment and business is not possible.

Both parties unequivocally agreed that the irresponsible BN government must be removed. The parties agreed on the mutual common interests and work towards this same goal as the third force in malaysian politics, and sought ways as to how this can be made to happen in Hulu Selangor by-elections. HRP make known that the need for land allocations for all the 97 tamil schools in Selangor is long overdue and the onus is on the two year PKR government to win over the voters. HRP leaders also impressed upon the visiting delegates of the difficulty of challenging an entrenched political heavyweight like Datuk G. Palanivel.

Earlier in March 2010, Nicholas Bawin, Daniel John Jambun and P. Waythamoorthy presented their case at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the House of Commons, London, which is expected to be followed up with a parliamentary committee.

Cigma agreed to convey the consensus of the group to PKR and the Orang Asli.