Putrajaya shifting towards accountability for Sabah, Sarawak development

 Awang Azman Pawi describes a federal minister's comments as encouraging, while Azmi Hassan says Sabah and Sarawak leaders must take responsibility for project delivery.

The Pan-Borneo Highway is one of the major federal development projects that have suffered from delays in delivery. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud’s acknowledgement of persistent shortcomings in federally funded development projects in East Malaysia signals a positive shift towards greater accountability, political analysts say.

Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Awang Azman Pawi said the federal minister’s remarks were significant because they reflected a willingness to publicly scrutinise Putrajaya’s effectiveness, rather than simply point to increased federal allocations as evidence of success.

“Politically, this reflects a shift from the politics of announcing allocations to one of delivering development outcomes,” he told FMT.

He said the acknowledgement could lay the groundwork for a more open culture of accountability, provided it is followed by concrete action.

Awang Azman Pawi.

On Thursday, Mustapha said the government could not be satisfied with merely announcing billions of ringgit in allocations if their benefits had yet to reach the people.

He acknowledged persistent problems with road infrastructure, water and electricity supply, as well as delays in major federal development projects, including the Pan Borneo Highway.

Mustapha said federal allocations for Sabah had increased from RM13 billion in 2022 to RM17.6 billion this year, while Sarawak’s rose from RM10.2 billion to RM15.1 billion over the same period.

Awang Azman said Mustapha’s approach suggested a shift in how Sabah leaders at the federal level could champion the state’s interests, moving beyond securing funding towards ensuring its effective implementation.

“Sabah leaders at the federal level are not only responsible for securing allocations. They must also be willing to press ministries and implementing agencies to ensure every ringgit delivers benefits to the people,” he said.

However, he cautioned that meaningful change would depend on whether such willingness translated into closer project monitoring, greater spending transparency and action to prevent or address implementation delays.

He said Mustapha’s approach could strengthen public confidence as it showed an understanding of the everyday problems faced by Sabahans and Sarawakians.

“Political trust is not built through acknowledgement alone, but through evidence that problems are being resolved,” he said.

Awang Azman called for clear performance indicators, regular public updates on project progress and greater accountability among implementing agencies.

Shared responsibility for development

Azmi Hassan described Mustapha’s remarks as a positive development, saying they also highlighted the need for Sabah and Sarawak leaders to examine their own role in addressing development shortcomings.

Azmi Hassan.

He said the tendency to place sole blame on the federal government for development problems in Sabah and Sarawak should be reconsidered, particularly when allocations had already been provided but projects failed to progress as expected.

“The strategy of blaming the federal government may have worked at one time, but not now,” he said.

Azmi argued that shortcomings in project management and implementation also warranted scrutiny.

He said it was particularly significant that the issue was raised by a federal minister from Borneo, describing the remarks as a wake-up call for leaders in Sabah and Sarawak to acknowledge both past and present shortcomings in development delivery. - FMT

Leadership question looms over proposed Warisan-STAR-KDM pact?

 One analyst says a key issue the alliance must navigate is the distribution of seats in KDMR- and Chinese-majority constituencies.

At Warisan’s general assembly on Sunday, party president Shafie Apdal (left) hinted at forming a pact with Jeffrey Kitingan’s (centre) STAR and KDM, presently led by Priscilla Peter (right).

PETALING JAYA:

A proposed pact between Warisan, Jeffrey Kitingan’s Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) may face several challenges, an analyst says, particularly the question of which party will lead the alliance.

Arvin Tarjari told FMT the three parties must resolve questions over leadership and seat allocations well before the 16th general election (GE16). He said competition for the alliance’s top post was likely, given the standing of their respective leaders.

Arvin said Warisan president Shafie Apdal may have an advantage over his counterparts in STAR and KDM, given his extensive political experience and Warisan’s stronger representation in both Parliament and the Sabah state assembly.

Shafie, a former Umno vice-president, served as Sabah chief minister from 2018 to 2020 and has also held several federal ministerial portfolios.

“Shafie should be allowed to lead the pact, with the help of Kitingan, the STAR president, to attract support from Kadazandusun Murut Rungus (KDMR) voters, especially on the west coast of Sabah,” Arvin said.

At Warisan’s general assembly on Sunday, Shafie hinted at a possible alliance between Warisan, STAR and KDM to challenge Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in the 16th general election (GE16).

STAR was represented by its deputy president, Lawrence Gimbang, while KDM acting president Priscella Peter was also present.

Priscella is the daughter of KDM founder, Peter Anthony, a former Warisan vice-president who was released from prison on parole earlier this year after serving a third of this three-year jail term for forgery.

Similar target voters make seat talks critical

Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Lee Kuok Tiung said seat negotiations would be a more critical issue, as all three parties compete for the same pool of voters.

Lee said STAR and KDM both enjoy support among Kadazandusun Murut Rungus (KDMR) voters, but noted that Warisan also has a presence in the community, pointing to the Penampang parliamentary seat previously held by its deputy president, Darell Leiking.

“The issue of seat distribution would surely be a critical hurdle and major test for any political pact or cooperation,” he said.

The KDMR community forms the majority of voters in several parliamentary constituencies, including Kota Marudu (held by KDM), Keningau (STAR), Tuaran and Penampang (Upko), Ranau (GRS), Tenom (independent) and Pensiangan (Barisan Nasional).

However, Lee said there could also be a tussle for Chinese-majority urban seats, particularly after Warisan swept these seats in the Sabah state election last year.

“The STAR grassroots would no doubt want the party to try its luck in urban seats as well,” he said.

Lee said the parties would need to make a concerted effort to persuade their respective grassroots supporters to accept the alliance, given their history of contesting against one another. - FMT

Environmental group calls for independent probe into fatal Penang landslide

 Peka also proposes an immediate independent safety audit of Penang's hillside developments, with work suspended at sites that pose a risk.

Dr Wong Kar Lin was killed when a landslide struck the back of his house in Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, on Sunday. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

An environmental group has called for an independent investigation into the landslide in Penang that claimed the life of a doctor, saying members of the public, especially those living beneath developed hillsides, deserve answers.

Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (Peka) said the probe should cover the site visit by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) in August, letters to the consultant for the development project and the decisions that followed.

It also demanded the full disclosure of slope-stability and geotechnical reports, drainage plans, inspection records and compliance verification.

“The probe should look into whether MBPP or any other authority failed to take the steps required to protect residents,” Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan said in a statement.

Yesterday, the New Straits Times reported mayor A Rajendran as saying that MBPP had advised the consultant to take slope-safety precautions following a site visit in August.

He said the council followed up with a letter outlining the necessary measures at the site, although he did not elaborate on the steps required.

Rajesh said the public must be told what those measures were and whether the developer complied with them, saying the reported chronology suggested “regulatory negligence”.

He said if the authorities knew of the risk, they should explain what they did about it.

“If they failed in their legal duties, they must be held accountable,” he added.

He also proposed an immediate independent safety audit of Penang’s hillside developments, with work suspended at sites that pose a risk.

Dr Wong Kar Lin, 73, was killed when a landslide struck the back of his house in Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, on Sunday. Two other occupants, including his wife, escaped.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia previously said it had repeatedly warned the state government of the dangers of hillside development in the area. - FMT

Our cities are polluted, with or without haze

 Air pollution is not just seasonal haze but a year-round consequence of car dependence, exposing millions to invisible health risks.

From Boo Jia Cher

Recently, a friend shared a photo on social media celebrating the return of blue skies and air quality readings returning to “good” after weeks of haze.

At first glance, the photo felt uplifting. The sky was clear and cloudless.

But what caught my attention was what sat directly beneath it: a vast expanse of low-density suburbia sliced apart by a ten-lane highway packed with traffic.

In a single frame, it captured a contradiction that has become so normalised. We see the blue sky and conclude the air is clean. We see the “good” rating and assume the danger has passed.

While seasonal forest fires trigger nationwide concern and frustration, our most persistent source of harmful air pollution is not drifting in from afar. It is idling outside school gates, flowing along suburban roads, and passing us every day on highways just like the one in that photograph.

Vehicle emissions account for up to 70% of urban air pollution. Yet because we cannot easily see them, we rarely treat them with the same urgency. One of the most significant threats to public health remains hidden in plain sight.

Pollution we fear, pollution we accept

When haze hits, we pull children indoors, stock up on N95 masks, and worry about long-term health damage. Yet year-round, invisible tailpipe pollution exposes us to microscopic particulates, nitrogen dioxide, and ground-level ozone.

These pollutants penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. They are linked to asthma, impaired lung development, cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia.

Because these harms accumulate slowly rather than announcing themselves with burning eyes or irritated throats, we often treat them as an unavoidable part of modern life.

Children at the front line

Consider the daily routine outside almost every school. Children weave through rows of idling cars and motorcycles while parents wait with engines running and air conditioning switched on.

We would think twice about making a child stand beside an exhaust pipe. We panic when toxic haze blankets the country. Yet we have normalised school pickup arrangements that expose children to traffic pollution every single day.

The contradiction extends inside our vehicles.

Many people imagine the car interior as a protected space, but in heavy traffic ventilation systems draw in exhaust from surrounding vehicles. Pollutant concentrations inside cars can often exceed the ambient levels reported by regional monitoring stations.

We seal ourselves inside glass-and-steel boxes, convinced we are sheltered from the very pollution we are helping to create.

Unequal exposure

The burden is not distributed equally.

Millions of people live near major roads and expressways. Think of the apartments lining the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (Akleh) or landed homes built alongside the Lebuhraya Damansara–Puchong (LDP). Even with windows closed, fine particles can infiltrate indoor spaces.

For commuters waiting at bus stops along busy arterial roads, a “good” air quality reading can be almost meaningless. Exposure at street level often bears little resemblance to citywide averages.

Air pollution is not experienced as a statistic. It is experienced where people live, walk, wait, and breathe.

The other pollution

Traffic generates more than dirty air. It also produces noise.

Chronic exposure to traffic noise has been linked to hypertension, heart disease, stroke, hearing damage, stress, anxiety, sleep disruption, and impaired childhood development. Yet heavily modified cars and motorcycles continue to rumble, rev and backfire through our streets every day.

The health and peace of the wider public are routinely sacrificed so that a small minority can satisfy the need to draw attention to themselves.

Why EVs are not enough

Electric vehicles offer important benefits, but they do not solve the problem entirely.

EVs eliminate tailpipe emissions and reduce vehicle noise, yet they still generate pollution through tyre wear, brake dust and road-surface abrasion.

Because many EVs are heavier than their petrol-powered counterparts, some of these non-exhaust emissions can be substantial.

Replacing every petrol vehicle with an electric one would reduce exhaust fumes, but it would not eliminate the airborne rubber particles and roadway dust that already make up a significant share of urban particulate pollution.

The real solution

Cleaner fuels and electric vehicles are improvements, but they are ultimately technological band-aids.

Truly addressing urban air pollution requires reducing our dependence on private motor vehicles altogether. It means designing cities where walking, cycling and public transport are the default choices rather than desperate alternatives.

It means prioritising human lungs over vehicular throughput: building wide, shaded pedestrian corridors separated from traffic, reallocating road space to efficient bus networks, and creating dense, walkable neighbourhoods where daily necessities do not require a car trip.

Seeing beyond the blue sky

Clear skies can be deceiving.

Much of the harm caused by air pollution cannot be seen, but it is no less real because of that fact. We do not dismiss the germs that cause food poisoning simply because they are invisible. It is equally absurd to ignore the pollutants produced by our addiction to cars simply because they cannot be photographed.

The challenge ahead is not merely cleaner air. It is recognising that our car-dependent way of life carries hidden costs that are paid with our health, our peace, and our quality of life. Only when we acknowledge those costs can we begin the work of eliminating them. - FMT

Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT