SANDAKAN POLLS | At a forum organised by electoral watchdog Bersih today, the three independent candidates for the Sandakan by-election said they are fully immersed in the issues faced by locals.
Independent candidate Hamzah Abdullah touched on Sabah's immigration woes, and said that the issue is not limited to the undocumented migration frequently brought up by politicians.
The more serious problem, Hamzah said, are those born in Malaysia or who have been living in the country for generations not receiving proper documentation.
"Those who go down to the ground will know the documentation issue plaguing the people, including the Kadazandusun, Bajau, and Suluk.
“If you look at ministers' answers, they will always jump to the issue of undocumented immigrants (pendatang tanpa izin).
“But that's not the issue. We are talking about giving citizenship to those who were born in Malaysia, but do not have their documents," said Hamzah (photo), who once chaired Sabah Amanah.
Housing issues
Sulaiman Abdul Samat, meanwhile, brought up the issue of housing in the coastal town at the forum.
According to Sulaiman, the government had promised more and better housing, but so far had bulldozed 8,000 houses and only rebuilt 2,000.
"How many families are without houses now?" he asked. "What happened to the other 6,000 houses? Where are they?"
Sulaiman (photo) also said the government should not evict families who are behind on their rent without notice or assistance.
"These people are not animals," he said.
'No electricity, water'
The third independent candidate Chia Siew Yung pointed out that the situation at Pulau Berhala is still abysmal, as it is still without electricity or water.
Among others, Chia also brought up issues such as taxi drivers' concern against e-hailing service Grab, the lack of parking in a local hospital, as well as boosting tourism in Sandakan.
"We should not develop Sandakan like Kuala Lumpur. We should have something unique," he told the forum.
"We can plant more cherry blossom trees in Sandakan so people don’t have to go to Japan to see cherry blossoms, they can come to Sandakan," he suggested.
DAP's Vivian Wong and PBS' Linda Tsen were absent from today's Bersih forum, citing their tight campaign schedules.
The forum had encountered a slight snag earlier in the day when police officers said they did not have a permit to hold the event.
Sabah Bersih vice-chairperson Beverly Joeman said they explained to the police and the Election Commission that they did not require a permit, as the event was held in a private venue outside the boundary of the Sandakan parliamentary constituency.
As such, Sabah Bersih proceeded with the forum. - Mkini
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