Dr Mahathir Mohamad has once again ruffled feathers in Sarawak — and this time, it’s clear he hasn’t learned much. 
In a recent interview, the former prime minister warned Sarawak not to “seize control” of its oil and gas from Petronas and said any demands for more autonomy should be brought to Parliament — not “settled behind closed doors.” He even suggested Sarawak was poor under British rule, so they should be thankful things have improved. Seriously?
These kinds of remarks aren’t just outdated — they’re insulting. And for Sarawakians, they’re nothing new. Mahathir’s track record with Sarawak has always been marked by top-down control, centralised policies, and little understanding of East Malaysia’s unique history and needs. His recent comments just put an exclamation mark on that legacy.
Let’s not forget — Mahathir led Malaysia for more than two decades. And during that time, federal power became more and more concentrated on the Peninsular. For Sarawak and Sabah, that meant less autonomy, fewer resources, and more decisions being made without them.
Billions of ringgit earned from Sarawak’s oil and gas were channelled into mega-projects in the peninsula — like the Petronas Twin Towers and Putrajaya — while basic infrastructure in Sarawak lagged behind. As political analyst James Chin bluntly put it, Sabah and Sarawak were treated like “cash cows” for the peninsula. Mahathir’s administration laid the groundwork for this imbalance, and it’s something East Malaysians have never forgotten.
The Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) promised Sarawak a high degree of autonomy when it joined to form Malaysia. But under successive federal governments — especially during Mahathir’s time — many of those rights were either watered down or ignored altogether.
Now Mahathir says any changes must go through Parliament — where Sarawak holds just 31 out of 222 seats. That’s not real representation. That’s a rigged game. Telling Sarawak to fight for its rights in a system designed to drown out its voice feels more like a slap in the face than genuine advice.
Even Sarawakian leaders have fired back. Senator Pele Tinggom rightly pointed out that autonomy isn’t something to be begged for — it’s already in the Constitution. And Peter John Jaban of civil society group "Sarawakians for Sarawak" put it plainly: these are not matters to be “debated” in a Malaya-dominated Parliament. They’re constitutional promises that must be honoured.
What’s most frustrating about Mahathir’s comments is the tone. There’s a condescending air, like Sarawak is being too demanding — as if asking for a fair share of its own resources is somehow greedy. He even suggested Sarawak wouldn’t know what to do with full control over its oil and gas, implying it might not lead to “prosperity.”
But here’s the thing: Sarawak has already proven it can manage itself. The state has reached high-income status under its own government’s policies — not because of federal handouts. And when Sarawak created its own energy company, Petros, to assert control over local resources, it wasn’t a threat — it was a necessary step.
For many Sarawakians, Mahathir’s latest remarks feel like déjà vu. The same dismissive attitude. The same centralist mindset. The same refusal to accept that Sarawak is not just another state — it’s a founding partner of Malaysia with its own identity, culture, and political rights.
And at a time when the federal government claims to be working toward MA63 reforms and greater East Malaysian inclusion, comments like Mahathir’s take the conversation ten steps backward.
It’s no wonder people are angry. Mahathir doesn’t just misunderstand Sarawak’s demands — he misrepresents them. He frames them as selfish, destabilising, or “bad for national unity,” when in fact, all Sarawakians are asking for is respect, fair treatment, and the chance to thrive on their own terms.
Mahathir may no longer be in power, but his voice still carries weight. And when he uses it to belittle Sarawak’s legitimate demands, it reinforces every fear East Malaysians have about how little KL values them. It’s time that we reconcile our misunderstandings, or the federation may suffer for it.
These kinds of remarks aren’t just outdated — they’re insulting. And for Sarawakians, they’re nothing new. Mahathir’s track record with Sarawak has always been marked by top-down control, centralised policies, and little understanding of East Malaysia’s unique history and needs. His recent comments just put an exclamation mark on that legacy.
Let’s not forget — Mahathir led Malaysia for more than two decades. And during that time, federal power became more and more concentrated on the Peninsular. For Sarawak and Sabah, that meant less autonomy, fewer resources, and more decisions being made without them.
Billions of ringgit earned from Sarawak’s oil and gas were channelled into mega-projects in the peninsula — like the Petronas Twin Towers and Putrajaya — while basic infrastructure in Sarawak lagged behind. As political analyst James Chin bluntly put it, Sabah and Sarawak were treated like “cash cows” for the peninsula. Mahathir’s administration laid the groundwork for this imbalance, and it’s something East Malaysians have never forgotten.
The Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) promised Sarawak a high degree of autonomy when it joined to form Malaysia. But under successive federal governments — especially during Mahathir’s time — many of those rights were either watered down or ignored altogether.
Now Mahathir says any changes must go through Parliament — where Sarawak holds just 31 out of 222 seats. That’s not real representation. That’s a rigged game. Telling Sarawak to fight for its rights in a system designed to drown out its voice feels more like a slap in the face than genuine advice.
Even Sarawakian leaders have fired back. Senator Pele Tinggom rightly pointed out that autonomy isn’t something to be begged for — it’s already in the Constitution. And Peter John Jaban of civil society group "Sarawakians for Sarawak" put it plainly: these are not matters to be “debated” in a Malaya-dominated Parliament. They’re constitutional promises that must be honoured.
What’s most frustrating about Mahathir’s comments is the tone. There’s a condescending air, like Sarawak is being too demanding — as if asking for a fair share of its own resources is somehow greedy. He even suggested Sarawak wouldn’t know what to do with full control over its oil and gas, implying it might not lead to “prosperity.”
For many Sarawakians, Mahathir’s latest remarks feel like déjà vu. The same dismissive attitude. The same centralist mindset. The same refusal to accept that Sarawak is not just another state — it’s a founding partner of Malaysia with its own identity, culture, and political rights.
And at a time when the federal government claims to be working toward MA63 reforms and greater East Malaysian inclusion, comments like Mahathir’s take the conversation ten steps backward.
It’s no wonder people are angry. Mahathir doesn’t just misunderstand Sarawak’s demands — he misrepresents them. He frames them as selfish, destabilising, or “bad for national unity,” when in fact, all Sarawakians are asking for is respect, fair treatment, and the chance to thrive on their own terms.
Mahathir may no longer be in power, but his voice still carries weight. And when he uses it to belittle Sarawak’s legitimate demands, it reinforces every fear East Malaysians have about how little KL values them. It’s time that we reconcile our misunderstandings, or the federation may suffer for it.
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