SAM SHOULD NOT INVOLVE IN POLITICS

DAP Sabah congratulates the Director of Forestry for his professionalism in discharging his duty as the custodian of our forest. The achievement attained by his department in getting 1.3 million hectares of forests to be classified as Totally Protected Areas (ATP) is no easy task.

We will support the department’s endeavor in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative and is so delighted to know that the department is now working with the people living around the forest reserves and making them 'Kampong Towkays'. This is in contrast with the earlier pictures of the department brutal actions against indigenous people who settled and deemed to have encroached into the forest reserves.

DAP Sabah however feels that the good work of Datuk Sam Mannan has now been politicized not because the opposition wants to but of his own making. Sam should not have uttered in a public forum involving foreign dignitaries that should there be a change in government, 500,000 acres of land in Danum and Ulu Segama worth billion of ringgits will be given away to its supporters. We will not be surprised that this statement must have caused him to lose lots of points.

DAP Sabah does not have any issue with Sam’s praising the Chief Minister as this is his prerogative. We are offended however when Sam started to point fingers without specifying or naming the people or parties involved in trying to discredit the government. We know Sam is a very frank and straight forward person thus we demand that he is also true to his color by naming those involved in bringing down the government via the internet.

DAP Sabah would like to remind Sam that the forest was 'attack' by the previous government because for nine years the party was deprived or starved off of Federal funding. Today that party is back in BN. It is therefore correct to say that the BN government is equally responsible for the poor status of our forest.

We are still concern about our forest. This stems from the news in the internet that millions of ringgit of timber money are 'parked' overseas. The about-turn confession by the government on the RM40 million that it is a donation to UMNO Sabah is something to take note and seriously. Those people incriminated in this report are from the Sabah timber industry.

DAP Sabah does not doubt the integrity of the Director and staff of the Forestry department. We know of their dedication and hard work. Thus, in our Pakatan Rakyat Budget 2013 which was unveiled on 17 Oct 2012 the party understands the problem faced by the department.

Accordingly, when Pakatan Rakyat takes over the government in the 13th general election an allocation of RM25 million is provided to beef up the enforcement unit. This amount can be increased as and when the department request for it.

DAP Sabah urges Datuk Sam Mannan not to be quick to brand the opposition as 'hooligans' but try to show them that the department will continue to undertake proper forest management under whichever government is running the country. Sam can be assured of our support.