NATIVES OF THE INTERIOR BEEN NEGLECTED

INTERVIEW….Dr Benjamin Yapp conducting an interview with a hardcore poor family at Kampung Kuangoh, Bingkor, Keningau District.

By: DAP MEDIA

SABAH DAP interior mobile service received numerous public complaints from the local native from the interior that their native customary rights and privileges were being ignored by the authorities concerned.

The Government had failed to provide adequate assistance and priorities to deserving poor natives in obtaining PPRT, low-cost housing facilities, scholarships and welfare aid.

The indigenous rural people particularly in remote areas of Keningau and Tenom voiced their grievances to Sabah DAP that they had suffered discrimination due to unfair, inequitable manners in which certain policies were being implemented affecting the rural poor.

For instance, in the case of Native customary rights on land, the natives were unhappy with the State Government’s new policy of imposing 5% property gain tax on Native lands.

The poor natives of the interior had no means to develop their ideal lands for agro-based industry to improve their standard of living, so when they had to seek for joint-venture partners who could provide the capital to develop their native lands, the Government imposed the taxation on the poor indigenous people.

Instead of being compassionate to allow the natives to enjoy the 5% taxation for their social and economic development, children’s education and future savings for health-care and old age funds, they complained that the Government imposed such unfair, unreasonable policy that made the poor became poorer.

They were already in a dilemma and suffered from poverty but yet the Government did not show any compassion. Sabah DAP said, such policy that had adversely affected the natives at this crucial time of economic recession should be abolished.

The local native told Sabah DAP mobile service that despite of their application for PPRT facilities, they had been deprived of for many years waiting in vain to receive the assistance, whereas those who were average income earners being close friends and relatives of certain officials were approved of credit facilities, financial assistance, scholarships for their children and other privileges.

The Government seems to be practicing unfairness towards those genuine natives who needed assistances. There were reports and incidences where native lands were being alienated and approved to big companies from Peninsular Malaysia for oil-palm plantations in the rural areas of Sabah.

As Sabah is currently the second poorest State in Malaysia with over 23% poverty recorded in the history of Sabah, Malaysia, it is therefore crucial that the Government should allocate the Billion of Ringgit as promised by the BN Government for rural infrastructure development for the interior.

The interior areas such as Keningau, Bingkor, Apin-Apin, Sook, Nabawan, Pensiangan, Tenom, Melalap and Kemabong as well as other rural sub-districts and remote interior areas were badly in need of basic infrastructure development, better road construction and maintenance, bridges and other public amenities that were either lacking or, inadequate.

Sabah DAP reminded the Government that the rural communities deserved to have the allocations of Billion Ringgit that were declared and promised by Barisan National Government in the 9th Malaysia Plan for rural infrastructure development that was long overdue since the last General Election, and now the 10th Malaysia Plan was announces yet still nothing for the rural interior.

The people of the rural areas demanded their rights to better rural infrastructure development and improvement for their standard of living, and the interior stand a chance to be proper develop with the change of new government than with BN. Sabah DAP urges the people to vote for Pakatan Rakyat for a better future.

(Special Notes: The number of poor children who have been living in a state of poverty since birth, and having little money to buy for clothing and food as well as medical treatment when the children get sick. The poor parents have problems sending their schooling children to the rural school as they could hardly afford transportation. They have been living at an old, dilapidated wooden house with damaged structures and rotten walls without electricity supply for many years without PPRT assistance).