Wednesday 12 June 2013

UPKO WANTS PAKATAN’S HELP ON SABAH







By : MICHAEL KAUNG

KOTA KINABALU: With its support base on rocky ground, Sabah Barisan Nasional coalition member Upko is hoping the creation of new state and parliamentary constituencies will boost the fortunes of the party.

For this it is relying on resurrecting the Malaysia Agreement, a 50-year-old accord that has seldom been paid heed to since Sabah joined Sarawak, Singapore and the Malayan Federation in forming Malaysian on Sept 16, 1963.

The party which suffered major shocks in last month’s 13th General Election wants additional parliamentary and state seats to be created under the re-delineation exercise, by the Election Commission (EC), expected by the end of the year.

“As we are celebrating the golden jubilee of the formation of Malaysia this year, we are hoping to see a fairer re-delineation exercise which adheres to the spirit of Malaysian Agreement and as stated in the Cobbold Commission, giving the Borneo states no less than 34% of the total parliamentary seats as in the first election in 1967,” said its chief,  Ewon Benedick.

Benedick said the autonomy of the Borneo states was an important issue brought up in the just concluded 13th general election (GE13) and that it could be a reason for the swing of votes in several seats in Sabah.

“More and more Sabahans are concerned with their constitutional rights being eroded in the present situation,” said Benedick, who is the new federal Science, Technology and Innovation Minister in a statement.

Under the present boundaries, the peninsula is allocated 165 seats as opposed to 56 for the Borneo states and one to Labuan for a total of 222 seats in Parliament.

According to Benedick, the Cobbold Commission Report, which was the basis for the Malaysia Agreement, clearly stated that “the representation of the Borneo territories in the Federal Parliament should take into account not only their populations but also their size and potentialities”.

In the GE13, Sabah and Sarawak with a geographical size of 198,081 sq km or 60% of the total land mass of 329,081 sq km of the nation together made up 15% or 2,065,786 of the total 13,268,007 voters in Malaysia. The peninsula is 131,598 sq km in size.

“We are also strongly pushing for a fairer distribution of state seats which reflect the true racial composition in Sabah as we have seen the systematic reduction of the non-Muslim native and Chinese dominated seats since the 1993 re-delineation exercise.

“We (Komulakan Upko) suggested at least six additional parliamentary seats and 12 additional state seats to be created under the new re-delineation exercise,” he said.

‘A test for Pakatan’

The proposed parliamentary seats are: Bengkoka, Sorob, Tamparuli, Inanam, Bukit Padang and Tambunan and the state seats are Sikuati, Kanibongan, Langkon, Wariu, Marabahai, Menggatal, Lokawi, Biau, Sunsuron, Apin-Apin, Telupid and Bukit Garam.

Benedick was responding to a statement by the deputy chairman of the EC, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar on Monday that a re-delineation exercise would be done at the end of the year.

The way Upko sees it the new seats would help the BN government to strengthen its efforts to develop and transform the areas with more funds and administrative focus being given directly to the areas concern.

Benedick acknowledged that people may be distrustful of his call since the state and federal government had done badly in the just concluded elections and see it as a way to boost their flagging fortunes by any means.

“While some people are skeptical … this is also a test for the Pakatan Rakyat law\makers to prove their sincerity if they really mean their manifesto of respecting and giving more autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak.

“They have nine lawmakers from the states and they need the commitment of just one (opposition) lawmaker from peninsula” to give a two-third vote of approval for the new election boundaries.

“I suppose certain segment of the rakyat voted for the Pakatan Rakyat candidates because they wanted to give them a chance to prove what they have been hearing since four years ago especially on the issue of autonomy.

“If they cannot vote a motion in favour of the interest of the two states, then what is it?” he asked.

Benedick pointed out that Pakatan’s call for a one vote one value was detrimental to Sabah.

“As I see now, their (Pakatan) peninsula counterparts are propagating the one-vote-one-value which will further erode the interest of the two states if implemented,” he said adding that the movement will put forward its suggestion to the party to be submitted to the EC.

Benedick also supported the move by Najib to control the functions of the EC through a by-partisan parliament select committee.

“Enough has been said about the EC, but putting them under a parliament select committee will see the impartiality of the commission is no longer questioned and that the confidence of the people towards them can be strengthened,” said the federal minister.

40 comments:

  1. Sabah berperanan penting membantu negara mencapai matlamat menjadi negara berpendapatan tinggi menjelang 2020 dengan mewujudkan pendapatan perkapita kira-kira RM45,000.

    Ketua Menteri, Datuk Seri Musa Aman berkata negeri ini dijangka dapat menarik kira-kira RM10 ke RM15 billion pelaburan untuk tahun ini yang merupakan 10 peratus daripada sasaran negara.

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  2. Menurutnya, sebahagian besar daripada sasaran itu dijangka hasil daripada sektor minyak sawit terutama melalui pemprosesan hiliran termasuk biomass.

    “Bagi kerajaan negeri, kita mempunyai POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd dan Sawit Kinabalu yang akan menolak sempadan baru dalam nilai sambil menambah usaha niaga.

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  3. “Manakala bagi kerajaan pusat, kita mempunyai Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia, Kementerian Industri Perladangan dan Komoditi dan Agensi Inovasi Negara yang membantu merealisasikan potensi dalam minyak sawit ini,’’katanya.

    Sementara itu katanya, negeri ini akan menjadi negeri perintis di negara ini mempamerkan model perniagaan melibatkan sektor biomass.

    “Sesungguhnya sektor biomass berpotensi untuk menjana produk nilai dan dapat memberi keuntungan kepada pelabur dengan perjanjian secara bersama (JV) di Lahad Datu yang boleh menjadi formula menangani cabaran mengakses biomass.

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  4. “Kelompok JV adalah satu kejayaan kerana ia membawa bersama-sama pemilik biomas, pembeli bahan mentah, pembeli pembekal teknologi yang dapat menyerlahkan potensi ekonomi biomass.

    “Ini akan memberi keyakinan kepada pelabur yang melihat potensi biomass sekaligus mempertimbangkan secara serius menubuhkan kemudahan pemprosesan biomass di Sabah,’’katanya.

    Bercakap mengenai projek perintis itu, Kumpulan Teck Guan yang mengambil langkah memulakan usaha itu di daerah ini memperlihatkan kerjasama sektor awam dan swasta membawa ekonomi negara maju ke hadapan.

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  5. “Kumpulan Teck Guan yang menghasilkan produk Bio-ethanol daripada tandan kosong mencerminkan kebijaksanaan dan semangat keusahawanan syarikat itu menjadikan bahan sisa dapat menjana kekayaan,’’katanya.

    Pameran Palmex pada kali ini disertai sebanyak 46 syarikat yang terdiri daripada peserta industri sawit negara dan daripada luar iaitu Singapura, India, England, Sepenyol dan China.

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  6. Members of the public are welcome to SEDIA office to obtain the name of successful contractors of all SDC projects at any time during office hours.

    ReplyDelete
  7. There is no truth in the allegations that certain communities had not benefitted from any SDC projects as can be seen from the list of successful contractors.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The public are also welcome to visit SEDIA’s website at www.sedia.com.my for the list of successful contractors for SDC projects.

    ReplyDelete
  9. As a matter of facts, all communities had benefitted from SDC projects as evidenced not only from the list of contractors, but also from the list of consultants for SDC projects as well as projects under the Public-Private Partnership.

    ReplyDelete
  10. SDC flagship projects such as the Keningau Integrated Livestock Centre, and Tongod, Pitas, Kemabong, Kota Belud and Beluran Agropolitan Projects have benefitted the poor of all communities, especially the KDM.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The records are all there for everyone to see, especially the communal title holders who are the main beneficiary of related agropolitan projects.

    ReplyDelete
  12. most important of all is the fact that the Auditor General has given a clean bill of health to SEDIA financial records for two consecutive years: namely for 2009 and 2010.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is a testimony to the fact that in the exercise of its functions and fiduciary duties, SEDIA has adopted a high standard of professionalism, and complied with the principles of good governance as well as related laws and procedures as laid out by the government

    ReplyDelete
  14. In an upcoming visit to Sabah, the Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Panglima Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak will be launching the groundbreaking ceremony of the Keningau Integrated Livestock Centre on June 16.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A flagship project in the Sabah Development Corridor, the Keningau Integrated Livestock Centre (KILC) is set to increase the breeder population in Sabah, enabling selection of high-yield traits in both beef and dairy cattle that can be passed on with each generation of production animals.

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  16. Sabah dijangka menarik pelaburan antara RM10 bilion dan RM15 bilion pada tahun ini dengan sejumlah besarnya daripada sektor sawit, terutama pemprosesan hiliran termasuk biomass.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ketua Menteri Datuk Seri Musa Aman berkata negeri itu mempunyai Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Sabah Sdn Bhd dan Sawit Kinabalu yang dapat menarik usaha teroka nilai tambah baharu.

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  18. "Di peringkat persekutuan, kita ada Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia, Kementerian Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi serta Agensi Inovasi Malaysia untuk membantu dalam merealisasikan potensi kita sepenuhnya dalam kelapa sawit," katanya.

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  19. Musa berkata demikian pada majlis perasmian Ekspo Teknologi Minyak Sawit Antarabangsa Malaysia keempat dan Palmex 2013. Teks ucapan beliau dibacakan Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah.

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  20. Beliau berkata Agensi Inovasi di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri bertanggungjawab bagi kejayaan dalam memulakan pengeluaran biomass berskala besar di Sabah.

    ReplyDelete
  21. UPKO yang dipimpin oleh Bernard Dompok adalah satu-satunya pemimpin sebuah parti komponen BN yang kalah teruk dalam GE13, dengan hanya lebih 10,000 undi.

    ReplyDelete
  22. secara tidak langsung menunjukkan bagaimana sambutan masyarakat di Penampang yakni kawasan majoriti KDM, mengenai UPKO

    ReplyDelete
  23. namun, Naib Presiden UPKO, Datuk Bobbey Ahfang Suan berkata perjuangan UPKO dulu dan sekarang adalah untuk memperjuangkan hak asasi masyarakat KDM itu meskipun ramai beranggapan bahawa UPKO merupakan sebuah parti kerdil di Sabah.

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  24. Ketika menyentuh bajet 2011 yang telah dibentangkan Perdana Menteri baru-baru ini Bobbey menegaskan bahawa bajet tersebut banyak menguntungkan rakyat dikawasan luar bandar dimana bajet itu tidak meminggirkan golongan miskin dan miskin tegar dalam program bantuan rumah dimana telah mendapat peruntukkan sejumlah RM200 juta diseluruh Negara.

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  25. Dalam pada itu, Bobbey menggesa para ahli UPKO terus meningkat azam dan tekad seterusnya mengekalkan semangat juang yang sedia ada kepada perjuangan BN menerusi UPKO walaupun tidak diberi apa apa ganjaran.

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  26. Kajian persempadanan semula kawasan pilihan raya akan
    bermula hujung tahun ini selepas tertangguh pada 2011, kata Timbalan
    Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Beliau berkata proses itu akan dilaksana secara berperingkat dan dijangka siap dalam tempoh dua tahun.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Sepatutnya dibuat pada tahun 2011 tetapi memandangkan pada masa itu
    kami perlu menghadapi persediaan pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU13), maka
    kami menangguhkannya hingga PRU13 selesai,

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wan Omar berkata pihaknya mula mengumpul data melalui Pejabat SPR
    negeri dan melantik beberapa pegawai dari Jabatan Perangkaan serta
    Pejabat Tanah dan Jajahan Negeri bagi membantu kajian persempadanan itu
    dari segi melakar peta serta mengira jumlah populasi penduduk kawasan.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Beliau berkata berdasarkan Perkara 113 (2)(ii) Perlembagaan
    Persekutuan, persempadanan semula boleh dilakukan selepas tempoh lapan
    tahun persempadanan kali terakhir tamat, dan dalam kes ini, pada 2003.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wan Ahmad berkata persempadanan kawasan kali ini dijangka lebih
    mencabar kerana semakin ramai akan menyatakan rasa tidak puas hati
    semasa hasil siasatan awal dipamer kerana mendakwa ia berat sebelah.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Sekarang siasatan belum dijalankan pun dah ada orang yang tidak puas hati.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ada yang menuding jari ke arah kami dan menyatakan persempadanan itu
    dilakukan untuk kepentingan parti tertentu, tetapi kami melakukannya
    kerana dalam tempoh lapan hingga 10 tahun ini, sudah semestinya negara
    akan mengalami perubahan termasuk penambahan populasi penduduk,
    urbanisasi dan pembangunan pesat.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Bagi mengelakkannya (dituduh berat sebelah), kami berusaha melibatkan
    orang ramai untuk membantu kami menjalankan kajian pada kali ini,"
    katanya.

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  35. Beliau berkata semasa kajian persempadanan yang terakhir, pihaknya
    mengambil masa tiga bulan sama ada untuk mempamer, mengubah suai dan
    memberi penjelasan kepada orang ramai dengan turun padang ke setiap
    kawasan kajian yang terlibat.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wan Ahmad berkata rayuan semasa tempoh pameran kajian hanya boleh
    dilakukan oleh kerajaan negeri, pihak berkuasa tempatan dan lebih
    daripada 100 pemilih berdaftar tanpa sokongan mana-mana parti politik.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Wan Ahmad menyifatkan
    kenyataan pakatan pembangkang, yang menggesa beliau dan Pengerusi SPR
    Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof meletak jawatan, sebagai tidak munasabah.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Jika mereka ini merasakan bahawa keputusan pilihan raya itu tidak
    diterima, mereka boleh menfailkannya melalui petisyen pilihan raya untuk
    dikemukakan kepada Mahkamah Pilihan Raya seperti mana yang termaktub
    dalam perkara 118 Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Biar Mahkamah Pilihan Raya buat keputusan dan kami akan memprosesnya,
    semua ini adalah prosedur dan undang-undangnya, bukannya sesuka hati
    minta orang letak jawatan,

    ReplyDelete
  40. Beliau berkata kejayaan pakatan pembangkang mengekalkan kemenangan di
    beberapa negeri seperti Selangor, Pulau Pinang dan Kelantan adalah bukti
    jelas bahawa SPR menjalankan proses pilihan raya secara telus mengikut
    peraturan yang ditetapkan.

    ReplyDelete