Sarawak Keluar Versus Johor Keluar

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 I would like to say something here about protesting. There is a lot of protest in the country. There are so many protest groups. It is important to see who are the protesters and what or who they are protesting againt.
The Orang Asli on the Peninsula protest, the Indians protest (but quietly), the Chinese protest, the Malays protest, the Sultan of Johor protests. These are some of the protesters. 
And all the protest is directed at the government, or the ruling authorities.
By default the government or ruling authority is Malay dominated and Muslim.   As a consequence or not those who protest the least are also Malay and Muslim - especially those who get free money and free wealth from the Malay dominated government.  
Ok I have two videos here. One is a protest video from Sarawak - it is two years old. I just searched and found it on YouTube. Just using it as an example. Nothing more.

Lets listen to them:

 



So the Chinese gentlemen are saying that the Federal government is depriving Sarawak of its oil riches.
I believe the next video is more recent. His Royal Highness the Sultan of Johor does not mince his words. His complaint is about the same as the Chinese gentlemen in the video from Sarawak above - Johor does not get enough economic benefit from the Central government in return for Johore's own contribution.


 
 





The first thing I notice about the Sarawak protesters is that many of them are ethnic Chinese.This is quite the same for many of the other "Independent Sarawak" groups as well. (Please correct me if I am wrong). Even those protest groups based in the interior in Sarawak are also predominantly ethnic Chinese.
I know there are the ethnic Dayaks, Ibans who also protest but perhaps not as many as the Chinese and perhaps not to the extent of wanting to take Sarawak independent.  Where are the Bidayuhs, Kelabits? I know they may also protest but do they wish to protest to the extent of wanting to take Sarawak out of Malaysia?

And then the Chinese are a minority in Sarawak. So is this 'lets take Sarawak independent' movement a genuinely Sarawak thing or is it unique to some people only?   
Then there is something else. This "Independent Sarawak" is indeed a grass roots movement. From the ground. But as I said it is a "minority Chinese" dominated grassroots.  
There is little "centralised" Sarawak Independence movement. Look at the video again. SEVEN people protested by not standing up for the Negara-Ku. Only SEVEN ?
Another point to note is that those Sarawakian Chinese in that video are not poor people. They may dress simple and look like your average "sekolah Cina" Wong or Chong but believe me Sarawakian Chinese are not poor. Many of them live quite comfortable lives.


Ok now to the second video about HRH the Sultan of Johor. The Sultan's "Bangsa Johor", "Johor Keluar Malaysia" etc appear to feature him alone. He seems to be the main voice of the "Johor Keluar Malaysia" protest. 
Where are the grassroots brigades? I have not seen or heard of any 'Bangsa Johor' NGOs conducting street marches or street protests in Muar or Batu Pahat (as an example) demanding that Johor break away from Malaysia. 
There does not appear to be many (or any) ordinary people from Air Itam or Mersing gathering at the padang or at the mosques after Friday prayers and demanding 'Johor Keluar Malaysia'. How come?
The Sultan's complaint is about sharing economic bounty. Never once did HRH the Sultan complain that Johor is losing its language, its culture or its identity. Strangely (well actually predictably) neither are the Sarawakian protesters.
Both HRH the Sultan's and the Sarawakian's complaint is about 'economics'. Of course who is complaining and what they are complaining about will have a huge impact on the outcomes. 

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

By Syed Akbar Ali 

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