Rizal, North Borneo, and the Sultan of Sulu (Part 2)

In the first part of my blog, I revealed a startling possibility. What if Jose Rizal's plan to set up a Filipino community in North Borneo succeeded? Let's finish this topic: 

Rizal, the "Hero of the Malay Race" had planned to transfer his fellowmen from Calamba, Laguna to North Borneo, British Empire. This is to uplift his fellowmen from extreme poverty at the hands of the of the religious Dominicans and Spanish governors. (Much of the Philippines back then was still a Spanish colony.) Assuming that 90% of the townsfolk moved to North Borneo, there would probably be 100,000 Filipinos in North Borneo today. (The author has failed to find statistical data on the population of Calamba during Rizal's time.) 

Rizal was an able and progressive-minded leader. (Capino et al., 1995) His project in North Borneo would had saved his fellow Filipinos from hunger and persecutions. Indeed, the British were economically better colonizers than the Spanish. Rizal himself said in a letter dated February 23, 1892: “if it is impossible for me to give my country liberty. I should like to give it at least to these noble countrymen of mine in other lands” 

Having a large number of Filipinos in Sabah because of Rizal's North Borneo project would have a tremendous influence on the Manila Accord (1963 Agreement) which is in accordance to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541. In the said agreement, the people of Sabah themselves decided to join Malaysia rather than the Sulu Sultanate of the Philippines. If the Rizalian plan succeeded, then it is likely (not 100% sure) that the people in Sabah opted to join the Philippines instead. Sabah would had been part of the Philippines and would be a prosperous province of it.

Conclusion

I do not want to disappoint or to offend anyone, but what I have presented here is a probable, though hypothetical situation. History cannot be changed, folks. What I presented was meant for increase awareness of the connection between Rizal, North Borneo and the Sultan of Sulu. Right now, if the people of Sabah, though ethnically related to Filipinos, is happy to be part of Malaysia, then let them stay in Malaysia. We are all Malays. History proves that even Manila used to be a Malay state called "Kota Seludong" (lit. Seludong City) I do not close the possibility that one day Sabah will also be open to Filipinos as well, this might happen. Who knows? My opinion is that the Sulu Sultanate should be transformed into a multinational state subject to both the Federation of Malaysia and of the Republic of the Philippines. This would probably end the dispute of the sovereignty over North Borneo. Until then, let there be peace. To my Malaysian reader, Selamat sejahtera!