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 These kinds of remarks aren’t just outdated — they’re insulting.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 a...