MALAYA IS TOO MUCH!

THE SABAH Chapter of State Reform Party (STAR) said Malaya which controlled the Federal Government has been too much against Sabah, taking huge state revenues, not honouring pledges and gave back less than 5 percent to the second biggest state in Malaysia.

"Every year the Federal Government collected various taxes from Sabah to the tune of RM20 billion and this does not yet include the oil revenue derived from Sabah, whereas the State Government was only allowed to collect smaller taxes like on land and property, only about RM3.6 billion yearly. This is grossly not sufficient for Sabah," said Kitingan.

He said this in his speech to launch the Beluran division of STAR which was attended by some 600 community leaders and adults in Kampung Palantong near recently.

"We lost many opportunities to progress, we lost our independence because we are treated as a colony of Malaya. Kuala Lumpur (the Federal government) should honour Artcile 11 of the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) Report in which Sabah should collect its own revenue.

"If Malaya honoured the agreement we should have been be at par with Brunei and Singapore in term of revenue. We would have been more developed and progressive by now," he said adding that Sabahans must not anymore trust any outsiders but themselves to determine their own future.

Meanwhile 2,800 application forms to join STAR were handed over by various parties at the function which was attended by the Sabah chapter secretary, Guandee Kohoi and its Information Chief, Edward Linggu.

According to Kohoi, out of the 2,800 forms, about 200 each were from leaving Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) members.

Another two STAR divisions in Batu Sapi and Kinabatangan were launched today by the STAR Sabah Chapter Vice Chairman, Jalumin Bayogoh.

Also in attendance yesterday in Beluran were former PBS members from Kuamut who had joined STAR, led by Kuamut PBS Youth Former Deputy 1, Lius Meliton. Meliton in his statement said he was attracted to Kitingan's struggle and also the leadership of James Ait from Kuamut STAR who selflessly fought for the natives rights there. - Sabahkini