JUST before the Sabah election, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said more aid and allocation could be extended to the state if its leadership was aligned with the federal government.
At the time, he said Putrajaya could only give assistance to Sabah as far as what is stated as compulsory under the federal constitution, because the federal and state governments were not on the same page.
Congratulations. We are now on the same page.
After Muhyiddin and his coalition of parties won the election, he is nowhere to be seen. Even his Abah posters are gone. Neither Muhyiddin nor his top people have visited Sabah to show support during the upturn of the Covid-19 crisis.
They were all over Sabah like an octopus’ tentacles during the election. Like many peninsula parties and their ministers, you will only see them during election time.
At the Conference of Rulers meeting tomorrow to discuss emergency powers, will the Sabah and Sarawak heads of state be consulted?
Sabah is already in deep crisis because of the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases. The proposed call for emergency rule will kill its economy, which is already in the doldrums. Sabah’s GDP is said to be 1.5% in 2018, and poverty is still prevalent despite the state being resource-rich.
Sabah is now on its own to address the Covid-19 surge. Frontliners are bursting at the seams, screaming for help. NGOs are raising money for masks and food for those badly affected. There is a sense of helplessness and that things are out of control, and valuable time has been lost.
New ministers have to find a way, with added responsibilities, to deal with the pandemic. Yet, Muhyiddin is only concerned about his political survival. Where is the Abah in him? No father would abandon his family in times of need, except for our Abah.
Sarawak was paid RM2.95 billion in petroleum sales tax last month. Sabah has the same laws on the tax, and is entitled to it. Why is Petronas not paying Sabah? According to Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, since July, seven oil companies have started paying the state government, except for Petronas.
Now that the majority in Sabah have voted in your government, Abah, where is the state’s share? The money would be useful to address the resurgence of the pandemic and keep the economy going, especially badly hit small businesses.
Sabahans like Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, who is in the federal cabinet in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs, cannot keep silent. If he and other Sabahan cabinet members cannot do their job to protect the state, there is no use for them to be in the cabinet.
Sabahans cannot be dancing puppets forever. They must make a stand. – The Vibes, October 24, 2020
Datuk Johan Arriffin is former CEO of the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah)
