Kota Kinabalu: Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) said the Pesta Kaamatan must go beyond cultural ceremonies, pageantry and festivities to one of deep reflection, honest questioning and collective resolve to change the state’s trajectory.
Chairman Daniel John Jambun said the Kaamatan is more than a tradition — it is a living reminder of identity, survival, sacrifice and the sacred bond between the people and the land.
It honours the resilience of ancestors who tilled the soil with discipline and dignity despite hardship.
“This year, the festival must also force every Sabahan to confront an uncomfortable reality: that in a state blessed with extraordinary natural abundance, too many people still struggle merely to survive.
The state is endowed with oil and gas, vast fertile plains, dense forests, rich mineral reserves, mighty rivers, year-round sunshine, unmatched biodiversity, immense tourism appeal, a strategic maritime location and massive potential for renewable energy — assets that nations around the world can only dream of possessing.
Yet, it noted that basic infrastructure remains inconsistent, power cuts continue to disrupt daily life and business, water shortages persist, rural poverty remains high, development gaps between districts and communities keep widening, and thousands of young Sabahans continue leaving their homeland every year in search of decent work and opportunities elsewhere.
“The question we must all ask ourselves this Kaamatan is simple but piercing: How can a land so rich continue producing a people still struggling economically?” Daniel said, and drew parallels with Singapore — a nation with no oil, no timber, no minerals, no major rivers and almost no agricultural land.
Through disciplined governance, long-term planning, institutional efficiency, meritocracy and investment in its people, Singapore rose from nothing to become one of the world’s wealthiest and most advanced economies, it said.
“Sabah has everything nature can give; Singapore had nothing but vision and discipline.
“That difference is not a failure of resources — it is a failure of political priorities, governance culture, implementation discipline and long-term strategic thinking,” he emphasised.
Year after year, the people hear of mega plans, transformation roadmaps, billion-ringgit allocations, special economic corridors and grand visions.
Yet on the ground, the realities remain unchanged: unreliable utilities, rising living costs, weak economic mobility, youth outmigration and continued dependence on federal-controlled systems, he said.
