One mistake after another: Yong
Published on: Friday, October 19, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: Former Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee (pic) said there appeared to be a paralysis of government machinery with the wholesale sacking of more than 2,800 village heads and community leaders all over Sabah."At the same time, appointments such as local councillors are taking too long, resulting in zero approvals of local development plans and other businesses," he said, in a statement, Thursday. "This is fuelled by intense bickering among and within the ruling parties over appointments of local officials, including PPM, councillors and political secretaries.
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"The sum effect of these is a loss of confidence among the people towards the state administration as a coherent team," he said. Yong said there was a perception that the Parti Warisan-led administration is bumbling along from one mistake to another in the absence of a clear agenda to take Sabah forward. "The Government seems to have no idea that the Sabah economy is in doldrums caused by the free fall of crude palm oil prices and the dropping arrivals of tourists, two key sectors of the economy. "Prices are spiralling up. Contractors are not being paid. Bank loans are slowing down. These are critical matters that require the urgent and effective intervention of the Government," he said.
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He said the State Government was also seen going back on its pledges, citing the chairmen of Sabah government-linked companies (GLCs) being politicians, contrary to a promise by Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal. "Appointments to GLC chairmanships and even heads of government departments come from political parties.
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"This present State Government is also seen bending-over backwards for illegal immigrants while the Ministers claim ignorance over what is going on," said Yong, the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President."How can anyone believe when the Chief Minister said he was unaware that the Immigration Department was carrying out an exercise involving immigrants when he is not only the State Security Council Chairman but his party's Youth leader is the Deputy Home Minister," he added.Yong said the claiming ignorance appeared to be the favourite excuse of the current administration.He also cited the Datuk awards in conjunction with the recent TYT birthday celebrations. "DAP Sabah Chief Stephen Wong, a State Minister, also claimed ignorance when his party masters in Malaya questioned his acceptance of the Datuk award," he noted. Sabah DAP leaders were publicly scolded and humiliated like little kids. "From another perspective, Wong's reaction reflects the high level of interference of Malaya party leaders in Sabah," Yong said. He said the present state administration also appeared to be "blissfully" ignorant of the consequences of their statements that were detrimental to some of Sabah's economic sectors and industries.Yong said the Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Junz Wong's announcement on ban of river sand dredging had driven up the prices of sand and hurt the construction sector here by depriving the construction industry of a crucial component of construction."Similarly, his announcement on the restriction of seafood exports from Sabah triggered off a chain reaction that jeopardised the sector. "Banks have pulled back on their financing for the sector while seafood buyers in Hong Kong and China have turned to alternative sources in the Philippines and Indonesia. Sabah will continue to suffer from the loss of our export market," he added.Yong said the State Government had also remained silent following the cancellation of the Trans Sabah Gas Pipeline that was supposed to channel natural gas from the West Coast to power generation plants in the East Coast."Since the Federal Government has cancelled this project surely the State should propose alternatives to the loss of natural gas as a energy source in the East Coast of Sabah. Instead what we get is deafening silence," he said.Similarly, he said the State Government had not come out with any answers following its flip-flop of decisions concerning the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) project."And what's more worrying is that this Government has not made any commitment to preserve the pristine Maliau Basin," Yong noted."Shafie's statement that there would have to be feasibility studies on the impact of coal mining in Maliau Basin is ringing alarm bells among Sabahans.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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