Doubtful reasons to divide Kota Kinabalu to two zones

May I remind Datuk Jumat that it's unnecessary to split Kota Kinabalu City into two (2).

The impression I have with the suggestion is that the city is going to be 'specifically' run by 'bumiputra' or non-bumiputra' officers. Just when Sabah has been hailed as the role model of 1Malaysia, the suggestion seems very odd and somewhat contradictory to the spirit of 1Malaysia championed by our PM Najib.

May I also remind Datuk Jumat that it's the meritocracy, competency, and trustworthiness that they want for their Mayor. It's just when we all talk about uniting all the races together regardless of whether bumi or non-bumi in order to restart our mission in the national building, the proposal from Datuk Jumat is definitely out-of-date.

The emergence of new Malay race in Sabah

Sabah used to have 30 plus different ethnic races, and hardly any Malay during the independence day in 1963.

But with the efforts of government and islamic influence, quite a number of local ethnic groups, either they were muslim originally or those converted, are slowly, and gradually, claiming themselves as 'Malay'; perhaps in line with the trend of the nation building, and the strong influence of the Malay presence in Semenanjung, and most importantly, the extension of UMNO in Sabah since 1994.

The news attached is the proof of the UMNO leaders claiming to woo more Malay voters to the constituency of Sepanggar.

If going by logic, these Malay in Sabah should be rightly called Bajau Malay, Suluk Malay, Ilanun Malay, Dusun Malay, Brunei Malay etc...Now they all call themselves simply as 'Malay'.

What puzzling me is that why specifically wooing the Malay, and not other bumiputra of other ethnic groups who are not muslim to the constituency?

Maybe, they rather prefer to be officially grouped as Malay for many reasons.

The Unity Talk Between PAS & UMNO

The so-called Unity Talk between UMNO and PAS should start with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) disbanded first.

It's pointless to talk about Malay Unity and Islam by dragging in the other irrelevant bodies such as MCA, DAP, MIC, or the likes, which have entirely different agendas, view points, and priorities of their own. The major talking points between the two groups would mostly centered on Islam and Malay race while economy and education matters are secondary.

UMNO and PAS are both different in ideology although their members are mainly Muslim bumiputra. They are fighting for the leadership to represent the 'Malay' and the Muslim Bumiputras in the country.

UMNO is more inclined towards western and modern lifestyles while PAS is more towards the 'Islamic' humble lifestyle. One can say they are simply different characters although they look the same like a 'twin'. The only thing that they share is likely the religion but not their lifestyles.

The philosophical difference is the barrier between the two groups. Other than these two major points, religion & lifestyle; what are the common interests that would hold them together?

How are they going to share the resources of a government in order to support their individual different ruling policies?

Isn't it more volatile than the present Pas, PKR, and DAP 'coalition'? PAS should understand that they can't rule the country alone, in fact, they need others badly to get the majority to form a viable government.

PAS did beautifully in the last general election because they teamed up with PKR and DAP. It's an undeniable reality. Malay votes, previously held mostly by UMNO, were now split between UMNO, PKR, and PAS since the last election.

Do you think UMNO can snatch back the votes from PKR (or PAS) by forming a so-called Unity Government with PAS? Is PAS dumb enough to let this to happen? Does one believe that UMNO will let PAS influencing their members by the formation of Unity government? The alliance of UMNO plus PAS might turn out to be a disaster for both of them. They simply can not trust each other in the first place.

One of the major obstacles of achieving 1Malaysia is the so-called 'unfair privileges’ or 'unfair advantages' walls accorded to certain quarter which is initially meant to give a 'lift' to the 'under-privileged' group.

PM Najib should be brave and bold enough to 'tear down the wall' if he wants to see 1Malaysia succeeds. In fact, he doesn’t need PAS to achieve it. It’s all up to UMNO whether they want to turn the tide or not by accepting the fact that people wants equality more than the so-called ‘UMNO-PAS’ Unity Talk!

MCA Can Only Blame Itself, What else?

It doesn't really matter now.


Who ever appointed at their respective positions must start to deliver now.


For affairs in the Chinese community, the Chinese should approach Peter Pang of LDP.


For Mazu issues and its progress on the government-sponsored statue in Bak Bak, Kudat; Yee Moh Chai & team must deliver them within a year.


For medical services, Rosnah is the one who should be held responsible and ensure that Sabahan are taken care of as they should after years of neglect.


For infrastructure, Pairin must work hard to catch up where Raymond left off - a legacy of poor roads, drains, unreliable electricity supply, water resources, and controversial coal-fired power plant.


For transportation issues, we have Bakri of UMNO Kudat, a Deputy Minister of Transport, to take care of all the affairs of transportation in Sabah & Sarawak.


For Local Government & Housing at the federal level, we have Lajim working closely with Hajiji, the State Minister of Local Government & Housing.


PBRS President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup who is a Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister must now make sure that environment in Sabah is maintained and improved especially on the badly-needed drainage system in the urban areas such as Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu etc.. His role is relevant and gravely important to the Eco-Tourism that sabah banking on for the future generation ahead.


For LDP, its president Datuk Liew Vui Keong, who is now a Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department should be able to influence directly any issues concerning Sabah even though he may be just a Deputy Minister.


For Chinese education, perhaps the Chinese community still need Edward Khoo for MCA has a Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong. This is the last frontier of MCA Sabah.


MCA Sabah has gradually losing its luster as being the “main” bridge linking the federal and the state of Sabah. Its power base is no longer as attractive like it used to be before the era of Najib. The sudden emergence of Gerakan in Sabah, with the entry of Raymond Tan to its fold, has put more salt onto MCA’s wound. Its existence has further driving away the dependency of MCA in the state.


The in-fighting between the top leaders may have been the main reason for the outcome of MCA Sabah today as the party may not be enjoying the respect that it enjoyed during the Ong Ka Ting’s rule.


The federal comrades of MCA ministers and Deputy Ministers must bear the blame where a number of local issues were not handled appropriately, notably, the hospital QE, Transportation woes, and the citizenship & IC of Madam Yong in Penampang just eight months ago.

Dato Cho of MCA Kedah, paid dearly the price by losing his party election last October but has been miraculously re-appointed as the Deputy Home Minister in the Najib's cabinet, had not handled the Madam Yong's IC case properly; however, the matter finally was settled by UPKO, a local KadazanDusun party led by Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who was then a Minister in the Prime Minister Department.


It's really an embarrassing moment for MCA Sabah. The local leaders of MCA were helpless in many local issues, and could only offered lip service instead. Othercriticisms on the local MCA leaders were lackadaisical, passive, less vocal; and changes therefore should be done immediately if MCA Sabah wants to be relevant again.


The morale of MCA Sabah is now at its lowest since 1991.

What's Wrong To Say Not Supporting Raymond Tan?

Well, as far as I'm concerned, taking on Raymond Tan (Tan) is akin to taking on Musa, as Tan was controversially appointed and retained by Musa despite the criticism from the majority in BN.

Funny thing is that hardly anyone (leaders) now in UMNO or the so-called BN comes out to defend (supporting) Musa on his appointment of Tan; his influence is seen relatively and significantly lower than before the recent UMNO election. However, Gahpur Salleh did raise this case in the parliament quite sometimes ago when SAPP left BN.

The unexpected emergence of Salleh Said Keruak as an UMNO State Deputy Liaison Chief is an interesting twist & telltale sign in Umno politic. Meanwhile, Shafie Apdal is conveniently tasked to head Kedah Umno Liaison Chief, possibly to avoid the direct conflict in Sabah. Or, is this the beginning of the historical event waiting to be unfolded in Umno Sabah?

Are there anyone know why LDP is so daring to call Tan (or his supporters in positions) to vacate the appointments voluntarily on the pretext of strong public interests? Chin Su Phin (Deputy President of LDP) also named CM for doing the wrong thing. Yes, they would not have done it without some sorts of mutual understandings at the higher level.

Is Musa being systematically marginalized by someone in UMNO or BN? Maybe soon the time will tell.

The same group of politicians who defended Musa aggressively on the Matzu Statute issues two years ago reemerged trying to raise themselves to better “Posts” by trading with their “integrity” and “principles” again.

PBS has been trying to benefit from this squabble, and seeking gains by pleasing Musa even means to go against public interests.

The whole episode of development is just despicable and low class.

The Dilemma Of MCA Sabah, Where Do We Go From Here?

The perversity of continue appointing Raymond Tan Shu Kiat as Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) is just not only inappropriate but also an act of blatant insult to the people of Sabah.

Raymond Tan should voluntarily give up the Minister of Works and DCM since the pull out of SAPP from BN. However, it takes two to tango, both CM & Raymond should not ignore the feeling of the people, especially the matter has now escalated to a serious issue of Public Interests.

Take for example; a vacancy of Deputy Finance Minister left by the resignation of SAPP's YB is deliberately left vacant until today. Furthermore, another Deputy Works Minister post also has to be reappointed due to the corruption ridden UMNO YB from Kota Belud.

People has been wondering what's in the mind of CM? What's the poser?

Maybe, an answer will surface after the UMNO Supreme Council Meeting on or after 24-May-2009?

The CM of Sabah is also the Finance Minister.

MCA Sabah has been doing the most on helping the local people on the federal affairs such as health, education, transportation, and security over the years ever since 1992, the same year as the entry of UMNO Sabah; regrettably, it was never given the due respects it deserves in reciprocal.

Although MCA is the second dominant coalition component party in National BN, only next to UMNO, it’s not given the same opportunity to develop itself right from the start in Sabah, citing for fear of losing the supports of local people whom are still very much anti-semenanjung and regionalist.

The BN Sabah, led by UMNO, seems over the years been discriminative against MCA that it has been “asked” to take a back seat in the running of the state by the so-called “BN’s Spirit”.

The local-based parties were allowed and encouraged to grow their strength naturally; unfortunately, MCA was left to grow under-nourished without the needed resources it should have, either from MCA Central or BN Sabah. The situation of MCA Sabah has indeed been described as “demoralizing”, like it or not.

MCA Sabah should have been given at least one parliamentary seat to contest in the last general election but not so, largely due to the aggressiveness of SAPP wanting even more seats which had stirred up quite a bit of havoc prior to the 308 general election day. Nevertheless, MCA Sabah should now be given the chance now that SAPP is out of the coalition. Not only that, our only State YB should be promoted as the DCM as well as a full minister.

It’s high time that the MCA HQ extending its available resources to help MCA Sabah to secure the seat allocation as well as to ensure its eventual capture.

It’s now or never.

Teachers cum Politicians?

I read with disbelief of what is reported in The New Strait Times today that teachers are to be allowed to take part in politic. (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2518471/Article/index_html)

The idea was introduced during a speech in the recent UMNO General Assembly by Datuk Seri Hishammuddin, the Education Minister and newly elected UMNO Vice President.National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general, Ms. Lok Yim Pheng follows suit by saying "It is a good idea to allow Group A teachers to take part in politics. These are people with lots of ideas."

She said, however, those in administrative positions should not be involved in politics
“experienced teachers could further help develop the country if they are allowed to participate in politics”.

The government should not accept this proposition as the idea, if implemented, is going against the basic principle of “The Three Pillars of Governance - Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary.”

The result of mixing politic and education is, in one word, “Mess.” They should also know that their advantage of being impartial is long lost as a result of joining the politic.

The teachers are civil servants, and should belong to the Executive arm of the government system. There will be conflict of interest in involving teachers in politic, besides, will they be allowed to join opposition parties?

If teachers are allowed the privilege, what about other civil servants like Police, Military personnel etc.?

Their involvement in politic, if given, will not only violate the regulations and rules, but also depriving our children to proper education due to distraction from the main task accordingly.

I’d suggest that, if they think they have the acumen, they should only consider joining active politic after they’ve left the service. You can’t have both at the same time as it’s obviously conflicting with each other.

The Education Minister should instead making sure that the current education system be completely revamped where these teachers’s “expertise” are really needed. He’d do us parents a big favour if he could care to go down to the field and see for himself the “mess” that these educationists been doing to the children, parents, family, and the society at large. Schooling is no more fun, it’s simply “torture”. Parents have been complaining for years but fallen on deaf ears. If you asked the parents, 9 out of 10 are the silent complainants on the education topic.

If history can be manipulated, twisted by dishonest historians, then it’s not a matter of having history class or subject introduced in the primary school, but simply is a matter of getting the fact right and getting people to be righteous. They (UMNO) shouldn’t worry that the children do not know the history as most voters are mostly ignorant in history too.

Sabah People Expects UMNO Sabah To Deliver

Does the success of Sabah UMNO in the recent UMNO assembly bring new changes to Sabah?

It now lies with the capability and competency of the UMNO State Liaison office and its leaders, to deliver the wishes of Sabahan.

People expects performance, now that they are given responsible positions in the top leadership, they must be able to deliver what has expected of them.

The day of lame excuses for not able to deliver is over.

They should be united in their efforts to bring benefits to the people of Sabah. They should work closely with the existing BN components in Sabah, be they local or semenanjung-based. They are now the real bridge between Sabah & Semenanjung.

Being locals, they should know all the Sabahan's issues accordingly.

This is also the time that federal shows their sincerity in helping the Sabah people.

Will the dreadful situation of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) be resolved quickly with the emergence of Sabah UMNO in the backbone of BN government?

Will the widely concerns of illegal immigrant issues be satisfactorily resolved now with greater political influence in the central government network?

Will the other pressing issues expediently solved before next general election?

Their shoulders become heavy with the new achievements in the UMNO assembly.

We can only hope that they'd be able to accomplish them all, otherwise, BN in Sabah would become irrelevant in the next election.