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Yesterday, Senator Armani Mahiruddin created history when she took her oath-of-office (pic) as the first woman Deputy President of the Dewan Negara or Senate, the Malaysian Parliament's Upper House. Malaysia, comprising the former Federation of Malay States or Malaya, Singapore, and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, came into being in 1963 after gaining independence from Britain. However, the island city state of Singapore left the federation in 1965 and is now a republic on its own.
That was from the Malaysian perspective. But from the perspective of Sabah, the 52-year-old former school teacher created another history - she was the first Sabahan to be appointed to the prestigious post. However, another Sabahan, the late Ben Stephens (brother of first Sabah Chief Minister from 1963-4, the late Donald Stephens, later Mohamad Fuad Stephens after he became a Muslim) was appointed to an even higher post - that of the Senate President in 1985 and remained there for a few years.
Armani's appointment was sort of an icing on the cake for her family's political achievements. She is sister of former Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat or House of Representatives, the Lower House of the Malaysian Parliament, Juhar Mahiruddin who is now Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly of Sabah; one of Malaysia's 13 States.
That was from the Malaysian perspective. But from the perspective of Sabah, the 52-year-old former school teacher created another history - she was the first Sabahan to be appointed to the prestigious post. However, another Sabahan, the late Ben Stephens (brother of first Sabah Chief Minister from 1963-4, the late Donald Stephens, later Mohamad Fuad Stephens after he became a Muslim) was appointed to an even higher post - that of the Senate President in 1985 and remained there for a few years.
Armani's appointment was sort of an icing on the cake for her family's political achievements. She is sister of former Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat or House of Representatives, the Lower House of the Malaysian Parliament, Juhar Mahiruddin who is now Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly of Sabah; one of Malaysia's 13 States.
Armani is a member of the Supreme Council of the Pergerakan Wanita (Women's Wing) of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the major partner of Malaysia's ruling National Front or BN coalition. She also heads the Sabah Liaison Body for the Wanita and is chief of the movement's Libaran Division headed by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman. Prior to her appointment as Senator, she was a Board Member of the Sabah Housing & Town Development Authority (LPPB).
Her latest appointment came only days after the confirmation of the appointment of another Sabahan, Dr Oh Ei Sun, as Political Secretary to the Prime Minister; another first for a Sabahan. Only weeks earlier, Sabah saw the State's largest and most powerful representation yet in the Malaysian Cabinet headed by new Prime Minister Najib Razak. The new Cabinet now has four Sabahan full Ministers including, for the first time since 1963, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, brother of the Sabah Chief Minister. In the old days, Sabah used to have only one single Minister in the Malaysian Cabinet. What a difference!
Sabah, whose political leverage never really mattered to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian capital) in the past, saw a reversal of fortunes after Malaysia's 12th General Election last year which saw the ruling National Front doing badly; infact almost losing at the federal level and having lost 5 states plus the Federal Territory of KL. Suddenly, the voices of the leaders of Sabah (which has 24 BN Members of Parliament) and neighbouring Sarawak (with even more BN MPs) were being heard seriously for the first time.
The reason is simple - if only half of the Sabah and Sarawak BN MPs switch camps, then BN would lose control of the Central Government. Infact at one stage, a few months after the 8 March 2008 election, that possibility was real! Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had even set 16 September 2009 as the date by which his Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance) coalition would take over! That however did not materialise, with Anwar offering a host of excuses of course.
Sabah and Sarawak suddenly saw an increase in their bargaining power which can no longer be ignored by then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad and his successor Najib Razak (April 2009 onwards). Following last year's election, a Sabahan (Pandikar Amin) is now for the first time the Dewan Rakyat Speaker. One of his deputies is also a Sabahan while the other deputy post went to a Sarawakian. And now you have another Sabahan as the Deputy Senate President.
This was something Sabahans and Sarawakians never dreamt of prior to last year's election. Even the Chairman of the Parliament Backbenchers' Club is a Sarawakian while his deputy is a Sabahan (Bung Mokhtar)!
Well done, Najib, keep it up! As your slogan says, OneMalaysia!
Her latest appointment came only days after the confirmation of the appointment of another Sabahan, Dr Oh Ei Sun, as Political Secretary to the Prime Minister; another first for a Sabahan. Only weeks earlier, Sabah saw the State's largest and most powerful representation yet in the Malaysian Cabinet headed by new Prime Minister Najib Razak. The new Cabinet now has four Sabahan full Ministers including, for the first time since 1963, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, brother of the Sabah Chief Minister. In the old days, Sabah used to have only one single Minister in the Malaysian Cabinet. What a difference!
Sabah, whose political leverage never really mattered to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian capital) in the past, saw a reversal of fortunes after Malaysia's 12th General Election last year which saw the ruling National Front doing badly; infact almost losing at the federal level and having lost 5 states plus the Federal Territory of KL. Suddenly, the voices of the leaders of Sabah (which has 24 BN Members of Parliament) and neighbouring Sarawak (with even more BN MPs) were being heard seriously for the first time.
The reason is simple - if only half of the Sabah and Sarawak BN MPs switch camps, then BN would lose control of the Central Government. Infact at one stage, a few months after the 8 March 2008 election, that possibility was real! Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had even set 16 September 2009 as the date by which his Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance) coalition would take over! That however did not materialise, with Anwar offering a host of excuses of course.
Sabah and Sarawak suddenly saw an increase in their bargaining power which can no longer be ignored by then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad and his successor Najib Razak (April 2009 onwards). Following last year's election, a Sabahan (Pandikar Amin) is now for the first time the Dewan Rakyat Speaker. One of his deputies is also a Sabahan while the other deputy post went to a Sarawakian. And now you have another Sabahan as the Deputy Senate President.
This was something Sabahans and Sarawakians never dreamt of prior to last year's election. Even the Chairman of the Parliament Backbenchers' Club is a Sarawakian while his deputy is a Sabahan (Bung Mokhtar)!
Well done, Najib, keep it up! As your slogan says, OneMalaysia!
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