Weary of BN’s racial, religious games, Sabah MP mulls retirement from politics

By admin-s On Feb 17, 2015

(MMO) – “I have 8,000 Chinese voters in my constituency. When someone says something like that, blaming the Chinese community, how do I answer them? How can I ask them to vote for us?”

Datuk Marcus Mojigoh, a veteran Sabah lawmaker, is seriously considering leaving Barisan Nasional (BN) after serving his third term, saying he has had enough of the racial and religious politicking within the ruling coalition.

Describing some leaders in the dominant Umno party as borderline racists and extremists, the senior leader in the indigenous United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) said the BN leadership has failed to address many concerns of the people and instead allowed those vocal individuals to get away with divisive remarks that have hurt the rest of its component parties.

“My principle is that I represent the people. I bring up issues that are bothering them. And when I find I can no longer defend the government and I cannot face the people, then maybe it’s time to step down,” the Putatan MP told Malay Mail Online in an interview yesterday.

Mojigoh, who is both Upko vice-president and treasurer-general, said he had been observing the political landscape of Sabah for decades and fears for the future of the state that has long boasted of a multiracial and multireligious population that got along peacefully.

“BN has a good power-sharing concept. But more and more we see the racial card being played and it is unsettling. We are a minority here in Sabah, when one race is made to seem supreme, then others will feel marginalised.

“Of course we are nervous here when one race is made to seem strong,” he said.

Upko is one of several Sabah-based BN component parties and holds three parliamentary seats and four state seats.

He said that although the racists remarks were not made by the coalition’s top leaders, their silence on certain issues, including the recent call to boycott certain Chinese businesses sparked by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob, made the people doubt their sincerity towards the minority group.

“I have 8,000 Chinese voters in my constituency. When someone says something like that, blaming the Chinese community, how do I answer them? How can I ask them to vote for us?” he asked.

Mojigoh also criticised the state government for banning DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok from entering Sabah, saying the move had angered the people who wondered at the silence in the face of provocative remarks from the likes of Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).

Mojigoh, the incumbent Putatan MP for three straight terms now, said the alleged Islamic conversion of a 16-year-old student in SMK Kinarut, in the neighbouring constituency was also a factor that led to his increasing frustration with BN.

“That was just one case that happened to come to light. But many more are spreading on social media. Allegations of syndicates going around using money as an incentive to convert. None are being investigated.