Sabah Chief Minister said that “we are ready and Sabah is all set to implement Economic Transformation Programme” (The Borneo Post 8th October 2010).
According to Datuk Musa Aman, Sabah is all set to implement the government’s latest programme to drive the country towards becoming a high-income nation by 2020. In Sabah three programmes are running simultaneously.
They are the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), Sabah’s Halatuju (development direction) and the holistic Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) programmes.
Sabah DAP State Publicity Secretary Dr. Edwin Bosi thinks that Datuk Musa Aman is trying to hoodwink Malaysians in Sabah concerning the country’s becoming a high-income nation by 2020. First of all the government is running a deficit budget. The economy is not as glossy as what has been painted by the government. The high cost and spending on procurement of military equipments and mega projects have drained the coffer of the government.
The poor performance of GLC-linked companies such (Sime Darby) and FELDA due to poor financial management has resulted in millions of loss revenue for the country. The fact that the subsidies on several commodities were withdrawn is a good testimonial of the current financial position of the government.
To add more salt to the wound, Minister in the Prime Minister Department Datuk Idris Jala has warned that Malaysia will be bankrupt nation by the year 2019.
The country poor is becoming wider and wider. The middle-income trap that we are in is because of the lack of investment into the country. This is further worsened by the migration of thousands of Malaysians who are skilled and educated.
In March 2008 to August 2009, about 304,358 Malaysians left our shore to seek for greener pasture and the figure is growing by the day. Trying to recall and attract these people to come back to Malaysia is a political gimmick.
Malaysia is unable to pay them what they are getting in their adopted countries. We have not yet discussed about the sickening racism that is choking our country.
Dr. Edwin finds it absurd that Sabah needs three programmers’ to move the country ahead. Are we getting three different funding? The way he looks at it, the Federal government does not have much hope and trust on the Sabah government to implement and bring development to Sabah.
We are still asking the Sabah government to tell us where the billions of ringgit of promised allocation being channeled to. It is probably correct to say that the State’s Halatuju and SDC are now redundant with the coming of the ETP.
Dr. Edwin would like to remind the government that whichever programmes are implemented the success rate will be very low. Putting corruption aside, the poor security in the country will jeopardize and have a negative impact on tourism and the aquaculture industry (seaweeds).
The State is now overwhelmed with illegal immigrants and to make matter worse, many are now legalized. The thousands of illegal immigrants and legalized illegal have added to the poor income bracket. The dream of becoming a high income nation by 2020 is just a dream.
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