KOTA KINABALU – Sabah is being sidelined as only two state MPs were appointed to the cabinet, and none from Barisan Nasional’s (BN) state chapter, claimed state Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
Bung Moktar, who is also Sabah BN chairman, said it is clear that the state has been sidelined since Sarawak was given five cabinet positions, including one deputy prime minister role.
“The new cabinet is marginalising Sabah, especially Sabah BN, despite the coalition being one of the earliest to support Pakatan Harapan (PH) to form the federal government, and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to become prime minister.
“There is not even one representative from Sabah BN in this new cabinet,” he said in a statement today.
Of the state’s 25 parliamentary seats, Sabah BN won seven, followed by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) with six, PH (five), Warisan (three), independent (two), Perikatan Nasional (one) and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (one).
Sabah BN is also the second highest contributor after Johor BN in the 30 seats won by the coalition nationwide in the 15th general election.
Bung Moktar, who is Sabah deputy chief minister, said he fears that this is a sign the federal government will sideline the state, especially in development.
“We don’t want Sabah to once again be ignored, especially in the implementation of important infrastructure projects for Sabahans.
“The Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project, for instance, must be continued and accelerated. We don’t want to see this project halted once again like what happened when PH governed in 2018.”
He said Sabah also needs attention from the federal government to resolve issues of clean water and electricity supply, as well as construction of rural roads.
Two Sabah MPs appointed as ministers are PH’s Datuk Ewon Benedick as Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development minister and GRS’ Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who will be overseeing Sabah and Sarawak affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department. – The Vibes, December 3, 2022
