BN taking Sabahans for a ride on Oath Stone: DAP
Published on: Sunday, September 25, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Barisan Nasional (BN) component party leaders should forget about reclaiming Sabah's rights from Putrajaya since they cannot even restore the original plaque of the Oath Stone, complete with the 'Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin' phrase.Sabah Democratic Action Party (DAP) Advisor Jimmy Wong said the statement by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup that the delay was due to a technical problem in the drawing plan and funding from the Federal Tourism and Culture Ministry showed BN's way of doing things."A simple matter will take them a long time to fix and sourcing of the funding seems to be always a problem, even if it involves a small amount.ADVERTISEMENT "These BN leaders can't even fix a plaque, what more demand for the return of Sabah's rights in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement. Fixing a plaque took them so long and their demands for the return of Sabah's rights may not even be fulfilled the next 50 years," he said.Wong said it is not his intention to pour cold water over BN leaders' demand for the return of Sabah's rights with several component leaders making statements after statements and forming one committee after another. "But how can you expect the people to believe you when restoring a simple but meaningful and important plaque to the people of Sabah, especially the natives, took them so long," said Wong. Wong said Kurup, who chairs the Keningau Oath Stone Relocation Committee, should stop taking the people for a ride over his incapability in getting it done fast.ADVERTISEMENT Restoring a plaque, he said, is not exactly a rocket science and blaming the delay on a technical problem in the drawing plan sounded too weird and lame, especially when such 'project' is only to restore a plaque, hardly needing several changes to the 'drawing plan'."Who did he engage that he or she is not even capable of getting the plan done fast enough in time for the last Malaysia Day on Sept 16. I also don't know what sort of drawing plan is needed just to fix a plaque. Really amusing and comical," he said.
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Wong said if Kurup cannot get it done, he should not sit on it but let Sabah DAP, together with the people, especially the natives, get the job done."We will chip in to get it done. Many people have WhatsApp-ed me to say if the government has no money to do it, they will donate whatever is needed and have the plaque restored. Making a plaque doesn't cost much. "Fixing it is also not a problem as many professionals who know how to have it done beautifully, have contacted me and volunteered to do it for free," he said.Wong also wondered why there is a need to source funding from the Federal Tourism and Culture Ministry."If Kurup is too embarrassed to ask for public donations, he can easily pay from his MP fund or even get the Keningau District Council to fund it. At most, it would only cost a few thousand ringgit," he said.Wong said he also find it rather amusing over Kurup's latest statement that the people of Sabah should not unnecessarily worry about the delay in shifting the Keningau Oath Stone as it is in good hands."He is just contradicting himself…waiting for funds and technical problem in the drawing plan and now in good hands. Sabahans are worried. So many problems just to fix a plaque, how can we expect these BN leaders to demand the return of Sabah's rights."It is just like asking them to change a light bulb when they can't even climb a ladder to reach it," said Wong, adding he feared for Sabah's future if the political landscape does not change.He said the problems surrounding the restoration of the Oath Stone can be compared to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants in Sabah."Many were called to testify…reports submitted…committees formed. All these look good, but in the end nothing, as expected, has been done and the one put in charge of the technical committee plans to retire soon. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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So, it seems that we are heading no way at all… future is bleak."To save Sabah and Malaysia, we need to change the Umno-BN government," said Wong.