Plug RM60bil annual leak first

The federal government should get its priorities right and plug the billions lost through ‘leakage’ and not burden the consumer with a subsidy reduction.

KOTA KINABALU: Federal leaders have no conscience and don’t stop to think when they make statements and play to the gallery, claimed Borneo Plight in Malaysia Foundation president Daniel Jambun.

Jambun’s is irked by Communication and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek’s support of the fuel subsidy reduction.

Ahmad Shabery had claimed that the fuel subsidy reduction will enable the government to implement more development programmes for the benefit of the people in Sabah.

“That statement is an insult to the people of Sabah …his statement cuts into old wounds because of the state’s very poor development allocations despite the fact that Sabah is an oil-producing state.

“This is another example of a federal leader failing to understand our grievances as Malaysians in Sabah.

“There is no reason to burden the people of Sabah when we are an oil producing state. We should be exempted from oil prices increase,” he said.

Jambun pointed out that the government’s saving from the fuel subsidy reduction amounted to only RM3.3 billion per annum but the heavy burden it is passing on to the lower income group is immeasurable.

“If the government is sincere about saving money, it should act firmly to stop the 30 percent wastage and leakages on the RM200 billion annual federal government procurement that benefits only the few cronies,” he said.

“This 30 percent means RM60 billion per year, a huge amount and almost 20 times bigger than the saving on subsidy by increasing the oil price by 20 sen,” he said.

He said the government should stop burdening the rakyat and instead embark other austerity drives and take action against those legal robbers who plunder the government resources.

“The economic transformation that the BN government has been bragging about should start with good governance by eradicating rampant corruption among politicians and government officials.

Angry locals

“Let’s remember Dr Mahathir said Umno is corrupted from the core to the top and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has been making endless calls to take solid measures to fight corruption in Malaysia,” Jambun added.

The federal government’s move to reduce subsidies and increasing Ron95 and diesel by 20 sens per litre has deeply angered Sabahans and Sarawakians who have watched over their shoulders at Peninsular Malaysia’s growth, quality of life and high per capita income.

The various kowtow statements from ‘we know it all’ federal leaders including those appointed to the cabinet from Sabah and Sarawak has further irked people here.

Cost of living in Sabah and Sarawak is easily 20-30% higher than in Peninsular Malaysia and this has been attributed to the blanket policies developed by Peninsular-based federal leaders who have no inkling as to the needs of Sabah and Sarawak.

The popular belief here is that unless federal leaders come to terms with the reality that Sabah and Sarawak are an entity deserving ‘a greater degree of autonomy and special focus’ the future looks potentially bleak.

Post election in May, a 32-year old lecturer perhaps best summed this when he said: “The GE13 outcome may not be threatening to BN but the next GE will be…you cannot divide us (with race and religion). We are not Malaya.”