KOTA KINABALU – Known for years in Sabah as an activist for indigenous people, Jannie Lasimbang entered the political arena wanting to help more people.
It was a well-thought-out decision as she is now in her second term as assemblyman for Kapayan, which she won in 2018.
As Sabah DAP Women’s chief, Lasimbang finds a common misconception among the public is that state reps and MPs are supposed to raise funds to resolve problems faced by constituents.
“We (the elected representatives) find out the people’s problems and speak to them on issues relating to policies and laws pertaining to the government mechanism,” she told The Vibes.
“We do not hold the funds for development; that is actually the work of the civil service and the local authority. We push for the government and the local authority to do their jobs. It is important that the public understand the roles of the assemblymen and MPs.”
However, Lasimbang said the misconception does not only occur among the members of the public but also happens to government departments too.
“For instance, when a village chief goes to the Public Works Department to complain on a road that needs to be repaired, they are asked to come to me for a letter of support. That is ridiculous. The government should be able to verify the complaint and deliver the repair without having to go through me,” the MP said.
Sharing her views on the current political situation, Lasimbang said the anti-hopping law has to be enacted as soon as possible.
The MP said that although Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) had studied the matter when it was ruling Sabah, but she is not sure if Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is doing anything about it.
“They jump parties and betray the mandate of the people, but they are protected by the freedom of association under the federal constitution. But this goes beyond the freedom of association as the people have abused it to keep themselves in power.
The rakyat are angry. The political instability at the federal and state level has been costing us a lot; we have lost the confidence of the investors.
Meanwhile, on the issue of domestic violence in Sabah, Lasimbang – who was also a former Malaysia Human Rights Commissioner (Suhakam) commissioner – said there is a serious need for the government to increase funding for the Sabah Women’s Affairs Department (JHEWA).
She said JHEWA needs to support domestic violence victims including free legal service, trained listeners and safehouses.
“I was surprised when the Penampang police told me that 40% of criminal cases in Penampang involved wife and child abuse (two years ago). Thankfully, unlike in the past, the police now are very conscious about this issue and see domestic violence as a serious crime.
“However, domestic violence victims still need a lot of support for them to go through the process, so JHEWA must be sufficiently funded to help them,” she said. – The Vibes, May 23, 2021
