Kit Siang: Sabahans have become minority in Sabah

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani | The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, July 4 — Lim Kit Siang said today that the lack of economic opportunities and development in Sabah had caused an exodus to Kuala Lumpur for greener pastures.

“After 47 years, Sabahans are now concerned that they have become the minority and strangers in their own land. How can Sabah’s population of 400,000 during the formation of Malaysia in 1963 be now multiplied to over three million today. Super producers in Sabah, where did they come from?” he said during Pakatan Rakyat’s first meeting of Sabahans in Klang Valley.

However, Lim pointed out that many Sabahans have been exploited with false promises which have left many to be unemployed and homeless.

He added that Sabah still lacked the basic infrastructure and necessities to accommodate the growing number of unemployed.

“Something has gone very wrong that Sabah has become so poor. The state is lacking the necessary infrastructure. The federal government had promised that all development in peninsular will also be in Sabah but now even electricity, water and broadband is lacking.

“That is why it is important to have a study and forum to discuss the problems affecting Sabahans. We cannot solve all the problems but we need to start so that we can begin to resolve them,” he said.

Lim also stressed that Sabah had been cheated by Barisan Nasional.

“All are Malaysians including the people of Sabah. It cannot be denied that the promises made when Sabah joined to form Malaysia in 1963 have been broken. For ordinary Sabahans, their economic and social status have not changed after all these years,” he said.

He said that Sabahans have the choice to change for a better future.

“We need to change the power equation in this nation. This cannot be said when Sabah and Sarawak still remain as fixed deposits for Barisan Nasional. If Sabah and Sarawak decides on change then Anwar can become our next prime minister,” he said.

Earlier only 80 people turned up for the forum held to discuss the wellbeing of Sabahans in the Klang Valley.

Speakers and spectators voiced their frustrations with the inability of Barisan Nasional to resolve the economic dilemmas affecting the state.

Participants complained that they were forced to come to Kuala Lumpur because there were no job opportunities in Sabah.

Father Valentine Gompok claimed that students had to resort to prostitution to pay for their debts and workers were misled into leaving their homes with false promises.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail questioned how a state which is oil rich could become one of the poorest in the country.

“We must not let ourselves to be exploited. What can we do? We all can do something. We are the ones that can make a change and [don’t] let yourself become a spectator. If we begin now then we can be sure of change,” she said.

She added the federal government had taken everything from Sabah but has failed to protect its people.

16 Replies to “Kit Siang: Sabahans have become minority in Sabah”

  1. “Don’t trust Raja Petra”, says Najib.

    Then who should we trust? Trust Najib. Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!

    Say that again: “Don’t trust Raja Petra”, says Najib.

    Then who should we trust? Trust Najib. Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!

  2. “DPM lashes out at Malays who question gov’t policies”.

    Melayu insaf, cerdek dan bersuara. Apahal DPM ini – sengaja dan sentiasa nak mempermainkan kaum Melayu! DPM tak guna! nanti PRU kelak, tolak DPM langsung.

  3. ///The DPM describes the actions of PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim lately as acts of betrayal, as they had caused a split among the Malays.///–Malaysiakini

    The statement is seditious because it calls for unity of Malays against others; and that can only be other races. In a democracy, the citizens have the right to choose. To claim that people should not vote in a parliamentary election based on policies, as Anwar is offering , but to vote based on race as Muhyiddin wants all Malays to vote for UMNO, is racist, and seditious. There is no rule of law in this country because deputy PM is above the law.

  4. ‘Earlier only 80 turned up…”
    I wonder later was it full house?
    In any case….West Malaysians are well informed of Sabah government massive corruptions.
    Sabahans needs to decide and such Forum best to be in Sabah…but I bet you…no approval to such a Forum can PR get..and you can bet…man on the streets will not get to know the real truths.
    We can only hope internet is popular there..with the educated open minded young Sabahans read and explain to their parents.

  5. Anybody sense something is going on? Muhiyiddin want UMNO leaders to behave like PR and then Najib talk about more team players. You also hear talk of urging troops to sign and recruit more members/voters. Hishamuddin just fire the first hint that GE is in consideration.

    Its sure sign that Najib is reeling and struggling to come back. He is struggling and so have to contemplate going for GE if there is more setbacks.

    Najib should go for GE now. Its not going to get better for him. Right now is the best time to find something truly juicy to rock UMNO/BN. Rock it hard enough and Najib will hurry up a GE to disastrous consequences.

  6. Only 80 people turned up for the forum ???

    PR has to show that you’re not Semenanjong-centric and are prepared to visit more frequently and go to the ground in Sabah to explain the issues to Sabahan there than having forums in KL or elsewhere in Peninsula. Najib himself is doing his walkabouts there….

    So far only DAP/Kit is making some efforts, what about PKR/Anwar and PAS? What progress are Jeffrey Kitingan/SAPP, Datuk Yong Teck Lee making there?

    DAP’s Sibu victory may open the door of promise slightly ajar for Opposition’s entry to East Malaysian states but its hardly indicative of any significant change in BN’s grip over Sabah as a fixed deposit state, at least by the next GE.

    Issues close to Sabahans are:

    · how they are minority in their own land (due to so called Projek M). How many of the 3 million/immigrants owe their status there to BN and if they’re majority over locals how could you wrest majority support there when they are beholden to ruling coalition? Is it implicitly assumed that the situation of inundating Sabah with immigrants with mykads has reachd stag that it is entirely irreversible?

    · The other issue is the use of “Allah” in Malay-language section of a Catholic newspaper and Malay version of the bible. They’re quite sensitive about the integrity of their 20 point Agreement (at time of joining Malaysia), the 1st or 2nd point of which figuring prominently is that” While there was no objection to Islam being the national religion of Malaysia there should be no State religion in Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah), and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to Borneo”.

    · Other grouse is the usual socio-economic marginalisation of how in spite of special grants the monies don’t percolate down and Sabah’s poor, % wise, remain at least 6 times higher than the national average of 3.8%, many being without electricity or treated water or other basic amenities.

    PR has to get its act in order. The political infighting within UMNO is very intense spreading from Peninsula to East Malaysia but yet it keeps a better lid over this infighting as compared to PKR’s Achilles heel of open infighting (Khalid & Azmin Ali) and the recent defections.

  7. In order to win big, we’ve to pretend to be a loser.
    Head count does’nt mean anything!
    Unlike BN who like to boast and show off with their huge attendance in rallies.
    We need to “trap” BN into thinking that they’re gonna win big.
    We need to bash them real hard this time.
    We need to show them that they’re no “god”.
    We need to surprise them and give them a big heart attack.
    As there’s a chinese old saying, ” Don’t beat the bush and alert the snake!”

  8. It is our fervent hope that our rakyat in the East Malaysian states will finally realised that the Federal Govt and their respective state govts had betrayed, fooled and neglected them for the past decades especially with the immigrants in Sabah (from the Phillipines) who deprived the Sabahans of job opportunities.We pray that come 13GE the people in East Malaysia will together with fellow West Malaysians use their votes wisely to send all those corrupt people in the BN govt to Timbaktu never to play racial politics in our country and mismanage, rape and suck dry our blessed land of all the wealth which rightfully belong and should be shared by all Malaysians irrespective of our racial origin for we all First Malaysians and nothing else.

  9. Concerning the Forum…the low turn up is not the fault of PR.
    It shows Sabahans residing in KL or PJ are perhaps factory workers …counter sales personals and odd jobs fellas struggling to survive.
    Sad to say..these people..affairs of the country means nothing to them…and if voting ..can be bought easily….as they are used to that for decades..from father to children.
    The only hope is the bigger picture…Sabah itself and yet…so many are owing their living to UMNO B with citizenship given…brought in by the UMNO B hantus to make sure Sabah stays with them.
    As you can see….Najib is quite confident Sabah voters will accept his deals with no sweat.
    The only hope is TRUTHS will overcome DEALS…for mankind to live with dignities and principles in life….and usually TRUTHS will prevail…but it needs alot of hard work by PR ….with passion for their noble mission in Sabah.
    If we take Sibu miracle as the example…inch by inch..foot by foot…to spread the good news..it can be done.
    It seems 13th GE is around Sept to stop Sabah being converted?
    Johore and Sabah…where else?

  10. GEORGE TOWN, July 6 — Putrajaya has spent only RM9,600 in George Town annually for the past three years despite it being a World Heritage site since 2008, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng revealed today.

    If we divide RM9,600 by the population of Georgetown, say, 500,000, then each citizen of Georgetown would have got RM0.02! Heck, it’s only 2 sen. Rounded up at supermarket, it’s ZERO!

    Vote DAP and PR next GE.

    maybe, DAP ADUN should resign so that we can get RM50 million for Georgetown, eh?

  11. What the country needs is men of principle like Tok Guru and Lim Kit Siang to lead the country. What the country does not need is a leader like 223148336, 123222556, who should have resigned long ago! I should advise the code-breakers not to attempt solve the cypher.

  12. No point in venting our frustrations about the way the country is run by this DUMBNO fascist regime. They will not change their stand. In fact they would bend over backwards to thwart all out efforts to gain whatever is due to us as rightful citizens.

    The problem of foreign spouses of non-Malay citizens has had a very long gestation period but unfortunately without any sign of life, no thanks to the non-pliable bureaucracy dished out by the ketuanan Melayu type entrenched during the rule of mahafiraun mamak.

    As somebody suggested the caveat on foreign spouses could be removed by conversion. There is no guarantee that PR or citizenship would be a hassle free one. In the first place why should a citizen and spouse change their religion just to appease the extremist in our midst.

    Instead of lamenting on the plight of these spouses, a better proactive action would be to change the present corrupted and arrogant government in the next general election.

    This rotten racist mamak from Kerala, India has killed all vestiges of democratic governance in his lust for power and wealth.

    Let us use our votes to show what “people’s power” is by voting them out.

    13th GE should become the Waterloo for DUMBNO and its sidekicks, the MCA, MIC & GERAKAN.

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