KOTA KINABALU – The four-day Sabah Legislative Assembly session has turned out to be a major disappointment for Warisan, whose leaders trashed the sitting wasting time on matters like approving ministers’ pay raises, rather than talking about real public issues.
Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal could not hide his resentment when his party’s motions – such as on the Sulu sultanate controversy and food security – were rejected by the speaker.
“Today I had voiced again over my application to debate on the Sulu issue. The motion was on Sabah’s security.
“The seizures of Petronas assets in Azerbaijan were only part of it. Last Monday my motion was rejected because the application came in less than 24 hours.
“But why are we so afraid to discuss this matter in the assembly? It is not in contempt of court or sub judice if we talk about security matters and the safety of our own people,” said Shafie, a former Sabah chief minister, after attending the state assembly sitting here, today.
Towards this end, Shafie said he would press for a special assembly sitting to debate on the Sulu sultanate claim following rejections to his two motions to debate on the matter.
Also present were Warisan representatives Datuk Darell Leiking (Moyog), Datuk Junz Wong (Tg Aru), Sarifuddin Hatta (Merotai), Ben Chong (Tg Kapor), George Hiew (Karamunting), Calvin Chong (Elopura), Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari (Petagas) and Justin Wong (Sri Tg).
The state legislative assembly session was held from Monday and ended today.
Shafie also noted the motion filed by party colleague Sarifuddin Hatta on food security was turned down.
He said it is regrettable that a pay raise was approved at a time when the rising cost of goods and weak ringgit exchange are troubling the country.
Sarifuddin said the mentality of government leaders and the speaker needed to change, pointing out that the motions on food security were rejected – but not on pay raises, which saw debates conducted for up to three hours.
Furthermore, the assembly sitting was also shortened with sessions only held between three or four hours, although the sitting could be carried out until 5pm.
“It is not right for the speaker to reject people-centric issues, which are more important for the people out there,” he said.
Sariffudin said he also called for a standing order to have the food security motion debated but this was also rejected by the speaker.
Chong was also unsatisfied that opposition motions, which he said were mostly people-orientated, were rejected but issues like Musang King planting raised by a government representative could pass off as an issue in the assembly.
Meanwhile, Hiew chipped in that state Public Works minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and Local Government and Housing minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun should keep to their word and transfer out underperforming officers.
He said he had constantly complained about the infrastructure problems to ministerial officers and Bung himself, and often received replies that action would be taken soon.
“Sadly, after waiting and waiting, there are no actions being taken on these complaints.
He quipped that the ministers should also transfer themselves out for not performing.
Bung and Masidi had earlier said underperforming officers would be transferred out or shelved to improve the local government and infrastructure services. – The Vibes, July, 21, 2022
