NOMINATED APPOINTMENT FOR SABAH?

By : M. IGNATIUS

THE PEOPLE have decided, and the verdict is that the seats in Penampang and Kota Kinabalu went to the opposition.

In the case of Penampang, especially in the state constituency of Kapayan, the writing on the wall was crystal clear. The people did not want Datuk Edward Khoo’s service any longer as he was no longer acceptable to the MCA leadership in the area.

Sabah BN Chairman, Datuk Seri Musa Aman should have listened to the complaints of the people and slotted someone else to defend the seat but he went along with his conviction that the people would accept Khoo because of BN’s pledges for continued progress.

Now it had been proven and the people of Kapayan would have to abide by their decision.

But the BN government, based on their pledges to transform, should not look at the setback and neglect the needs of Kapayan, as well as the other areas that fell to DAP.

They should instead work hard to regain the trust and confidence of the people so that come 14th General Elections, the people will be drawn to return their faith to the government.

By the verdict of the people in Kapayan and the surrounding constituencies, a great void in representation along the government’s line had been created and this is where Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa must look into the possibility of putting back the provision for the six nominated assemblymen.

Perhaps it would be appropriate now to appoint leaders who could look into the needs of people in the constituencies of Kapayan, Luyang and even Moyog so that the areas there will be represented.

If the government decide to apply the nominated appointments, they must bear in mind that those leaders who no longer command the support of the people in the respective areas should no longer be appointed, as their presence in the new state BN government will only repel more people from whatever programs they implement.

BN need to look into new faces who are capable of drawing the peoples’ support and this must be done immediately so that the process of rebuilding and regaining the support of the people can commence immediately.