Comments for SAPP’s 14 points submitted to PM (on 7-April-2008)

Comments for SAPP’s 14 points submitted to PM (on 7-April-2008)

1. Political autonomy should be enhanced so that Sabah can manage its own affairs, including the implementation of the Sabah Development Corridor, 9th
Malaysia Plan projects and the civil service.

Comment: This sounds good but what assurance that you guys can bring stability to the State, I really do not have confidence in you guys. I still do not see real Sabah patriots who really loves Sabah and capable of leading us to the promised future. We’ve been let down again and again by previous leaders like Tun Mustapha, Datuk Harris, Datuk Pairin, and then all the respective 2-year CMs, and of course the latest Datuk Musa who broke the 2-year ring on our CM but has to rely on the pleasure of his “Managing Director” approval in Semenanjung before he could take office. Unlike before, CM is the one proposed by the fellow ADUN with the major supports and TYT has to gladly accept him as the CM without much issue.

2. Respect for and recognition of the State Government under the leadership of the Chief Minister of the day. At times, Sabah representatives bad mouth other
Sabah leaders in front of federal leaders. This has made Sabah look divided and therefore easily manipulated.

Comment: This is inevitable if you don’t exercise fairness in your administration. You can do the same to the federal leaders if you are equally matured and seasoned enough. Can you stop federal not listening to your “complaints” or “bad mouth”? Respect has to be earned and not by requesting or begging. Sabah leaders must grow up and shown your competency with or without federal helps.

3. Sabah needs increased representation at the national political (Cabinet) and
administrative (civil service) main stream and revival of the Ministry of Special Affairs for Sabah and Sarawak.

Comment: This one is 100% agreeable but Sabah must send good & competent leaders to federal for the posts given, otherwise, it’s only make Sabah a laughing stock of the nation, and further deteriorating our status in the federation of Malaysia.

4. A non-racial approach to national unity and the empowerment of minority groups are also important in nation building to stop the polarization of racial
and religious communities in the country.

Comment: Agreed 100% but problem is not on our side. The federal has owed us an explanation why they failed to achieve true racial & national unity over the last 43 years since independence. The naivety of leaders over-emphasis on the importance of a particular race’s supremacy and virtually ignoring the feeling of minority groups is a big mistake commonly committed by federal leaders. The federal leaders must have the heart & wisdom of Great Malaysian in order to gain respect from the East Malaysian peoples. The methodology they have been deploying is not appropriate and what making it worst is the mistake in the understanding of history, background of the formation of the nation (Malaysia), and the territorial culture and customs etc.

5. There is also a need to clarify once and for all the validity of post-NEP New Economic Policy) policies so that any affirmative action must reach the target groups, irrespective of race, that is the people truly in need of
assistance.

Comment: Mindset of federal leaders must first be changed and it’s almost impossible; in fact, they have been trying to change us through ways and means but in vain. Do you think they will accept the idea of meritocracy, in a real sense, in complete fairness without political consideration? Everything in this land has been heavily politicized so much so that it becomes too costly to live and doing business.

6. The government must embark on an immediate action plan to solve the illegal immigrant situation in Sabah, including the syndicated My Kad and other dubious documents, that has been a source of unhappiness among the people.

Comment: The setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (ROI) is a good indication of sincerity committed by the federal. Since the issuance of MyKad and immigration matters are the responsibility of the federal government, the burden of solving this critical matter should therefore lie with the federal government. It’s all a matter of political will whether federal wants to solve the matter although the attitude of some Sabahan MPs are also very “funny”. Since our Sabahn MPs are not united on this matter, federal could therefore take its sweet time to drag on until our oil runs out.

7. The closure of the JPPS (Federal Department of Development) in Sabah. The
reason for JPPS's existence is long gone.

Comment: It does not matter whether it’s JPPS or SDO, so long as they carry out all the designated projects within the stipulated time frame, we should be happy for the benefits they bring to us. The only peoples not happy are those YBs who prefer to do the distribution of wealth in their own constituency instead of by the federal officers or politicians. Is this the real reasons that our local politicians shouting about having the JPPS abolished?

8. Abolition of the double taxation on oil palm in the form of cooking oil subsidies paid ever since June 2007. This taxation should be refunded to the oil palm planters concerned. On the other hand, Sabah does not benefit from the other rice-producing regions in the country. In fact, we pay more for the rice that we consume in Sabah.

Comment: As long as it’s a fair win-win situation not at the risk of killing the goose, and if federal provides a good services to the people of East Malaysia in terms of good communication infrastructures such as good road systems in the east coast of Sabah, and the Sarawak-Sabah highway, and of course, the internet broadband connectivity throughout the State of Sabah; then we see the justifications of federal imposing the so-called “unfair” taxation. In other words, people will not oppose the taxation so long as they see the money is not “taken” away from them but rather seeing something in return by way of better environment for example.

9. To address the higher freight charges, exorbitant air fares, increasing costs of living, inefficient internet broad band services, electric power break downs, bureaucratic red tape and a host of other entrenched interests (BERNAS monopoly, proton car prices, newspaper prices, KLIA-spoke and wheel policy (against an open air policy), etc..) have staked up against a State like Sabah.

Comment: 100% agreed. Sabah & Sarawak oil/gas has helped the federal in meeting substantially on its yearly budget; then it’s only fair that we get the same reciprocal from federal on benefits affecting the Sabah & Sarawak residents such as those enjoying by our counterparts in Semenanjung (except those unpopular measures like toll-paying)

10. Federal negligence, the abrupt way that the Money Lenders Act 1951 (Act 400) was extended to Sabah on 1 January 2008. No mechanism was put in place to administer the new law. This has caused much confusion, financial losses and potential legal disputes in Sabah. How can this be allowed to happen in the first place? How can the Sabah Money Lenders Ordinance 1901 (Sabah Cap 81) be brushed aside just like that? Where is the hurry to displace an already established administration of the Sabah Money Lenders Ordinance that has worked well for a century? Now, Sabah is left to bear the consequent losses.

Comment: 100% agreed so long as this is good for the state.

11. Proposal to make legally binding (on the Federal Treasury) the compensation of loss of revenues due to Sabah under the Part V of the 10th Schedule of the
Federal Constitution (Additional Sources of Revenue Assigned to Borneo States).
This relates to import duty and excise duty on petroleum products in Sabah and Sarawak. Parliamentary amendments (necessitated by the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA)pact) to the Sales Tax Act 1972 in 1999 had caused Sabah and Sarawak to lose this revenue which amounted to about RM 200 million per annum per state.

Comment: 100% agreed so long as this is good for the state.

12. The Special Status of the High Courts in Sabah and Sarawak under Article 121 of the Federal Constitution must be borne in mind too. The amendments to the Sabah Advocates Ordinance 1953 proposed by the Sabah Law Association has been long overdue to be made into federal law. This is so that the Legal Profession Act need not be extended to Sabah (and Sarawak).

Comment: 100% agreed so long as this is good for the state.

13. Proposal that Petronas money should be used to build the Labuan bridge
because Labuan needs a bridge to the main land.

Comment: Forget it for the time being! All you need is a good ferry service managed by good operator with more regular and reliable services. If you care about this matter, I suggest you perhaps take a trip to Labuan by car should provide a clearer answer for you.

14. To seek an increase of oil royalties to 20%.

Comment: 100% agreed but make sure federal set up a Hong-Kong style ICAC to guide our local leaders on proper governance. Maybe a death penalty if found guilty of corruption charge can be a deterrent to would be offenders. Also, the trial period should be as short as possible in order to have the effect of reducing the offences.

June 10, 2008 11:30 PM