Raw deal for Sabah motorists

Motorists in Sabah are getting a raw deal from the federal government, says State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chief Jeffrey Kitingan.

KOTA KINABALU: STAR chief Jeffrey Kitingan, on Sunday, commented on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s statement that the government paid highway concessionaires RM459 million between 2008 and 2011, RM329 million in 2012 and RM343 million in 2013 to put a choke on toll charges.

The outspoken state assembly representative said he was astounded that while Malaysians living in the peninsula were gaining toll relief from the government, Sabahans had rarely seen, let alone driven on multi-laned highways.

“A kampung road in the peninsula is a grade above some main roads in the Borneo state,” said the assemblyman.

The PM had further revealed that another RM404 million would have to be paid this year, if toll was to be deferred, when commenting on toll hikes and the government compensation package for toll operators and concessionaires.

Jeffrey said the huge amount the federal government had spent on motorists in the peninsula while neglecting Sabah road users was grossly unfair.

“All in, (it is) a whopping RM1.535 billion … all for the benefit of motorists in Malaya. What about the motorists in Sabah and Sarawak?” asked the Bingkor state representative who frequently points out the disparities between the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

He said the condition of Sabah roads justified some sort of compensation to those who used it.

“Sabahans are forced to traverse badly constructed roads and often mud tracks to get to their destinations and should be compensated for this state of affairs in some way.”

“The one and only road linking Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, the second largest town, is worse than ordinary kampung roads in Malaya, worse than roads in many Felda areas in rural Malaya.

“On the other hand, kampung roads in Sabah are dirt and gravel roads which are not even level,” he pointed out.

“This compensation can be channeled to the Sabah government to improve roads and road conditions in Sabah.

“The federal government needs to be fair,” he said, adding that the current treatment of motorists in the two Borneo states was discriminatory.

Jeffrey laid part of the blame for what he deemed as unfair treatment on both Sabah government leaders as well as the opposition for failing to look after the interests of Sabah and Sabahans.

“They need to stop the unfair and unjust treatment of Sabah by the federal government,” he said, adding that elected leaders must remember that they were voted in “to ensure justice and fairness is served to the people in Sabah.”