By : DR NICHOLAS JAMES GUNTOBON
THE INTERIOR of Sabah had received little 'real' development last year, despite big talk by certain ruling Barisan Nasional leaders here. The past 17 years that UMNO had come to Sabah, nothing much that we could be proud of had exceptionally been built or 'developed' in the Interior which encompasses the bigger lower part of Sabah inland.
Infrastructures remain to be at the very basic-need issue such as longing for clean water supply, decent housing, electricity supply, better and more roads, better schools and clinics and hospitals. The number of poor families continue to be very high in Interior, and this is compounded by lack of job opportunities as industry is almost absent.
After 48 years of independence, our people are still living without the most basic infrastructures ! Is this the kind of 'development' that these BN leaders from Interior are so proud of accomplishing? Some of them had been YB for more about 30 years, but still want to be around by hook or crook despite their glaring failures. This time the people must audit these leaders and teach them a lesson.
What certain BN leaders shout as their big accomplishment is nothing more than 'a below-average' performance by any assemblyman or parliamentarian that are given millions of ringgits to spend annually to develop their areas.
They also have direct access to more development funds, including Federal funding, but they failed to use these funds for the grassroots. They thought they achieved a lot for the people when in fact they just 'SYOK SENDIRI'.
Our Interior youths continue to migrate to the Peninsular to seek menial jobs at small factories and the service sectors. Sadly many of them became victim of syndicate, and it is reported that youths from the Interior especially from Keningau, are among the highest number of youths who fell victims in Peninsular.
If there is job opportunities being open up by Government-linked agencies in the Interior it is in the plantation sector which most of the time go to foreign workers anyway.
In Sook, villagers are complaining that despite water pipelines had been laid for quite sometime, there is still no water supply. The kampung roads are also as bad as in 1970s in most areas. But companies with links are encroaching and threatening the livelihood of villagers.
Our sealed roads are good only for 20 tonne load, but heavy vehicles including lorries still ply these roads, destroying the good roads only weeks after there are built. Is it a coincidence? so that favoured contractors continue to get works to "maintain" these roads? If true, this is like a day-light robbery !
Some reports say that sealed roads in Peninsular are now in excess of 20,000 km, but in Sabah which is more than half the size of Peninsular, only about 3,000 km of roads so far are sealed. Where is justice in development?
STAR is asking the people to ponder on these facts ahead of the impending general election which might be called anytime soon.
(NOTE : Dr Nicholas James Guntobon is The Deputy Chairman, STAR's Sabah Chapter is among the three who are appointed Deputy to Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. The other two are Awang Ahmad Sah Awang Sahari and Daniel John Jambun).
Tidak dinafikan masih ada banyak kawasan pedalaman yang masih belum mendapatkan pembagunan, terutamanya kawasan yang terpinggir dan tidak banyak orang yang tinggal di kawasan itu.
ReplyDeletePembangunan bukan boleh dibuat dalam satu dua tahun. Masalah peruntukan, fizikal laluan ke kawasan pedalaman etc harus dikira juga. Namun ini bukan juga alasan untuk melewatkan pembangunan di kawasan pedalaman.
DeleteHarap kerajaan akan memberikan perhatian kepada isu pembagunan di pedalaman ini sebelum PRU-13 diadakan.
ReplyDeleteSudah tiba masanya kerajaan memfokuskan lebih masalah2 di kawasan pedalaman. Pembangunan di bandar dan luar bandar harus seimbang.
ReplyDeletekawasan pedalaman tak harus dipinggirkan, ia jg perlukan pembangunan. bangunkanlah kawasan pedalaman. jgn hanya tumpukan kawasan bandar.
ReplyDeletewakil2 rakyat perlu laporkan hal sebenar keadaan kampung kawasan mereka. Wakil2 rakyat harus rajin turun padang.
ReplyDeletewakil rakyatlah sebenarnya yang perlu memainkan peranan agar masalah2 rakyat dapat disampaikan kepada kerajaan. kalau tidak berfungsi, tidak hairanlah kenapa masih banyak kawasan2 yang sangat mundur dan daif.
Deletepembangunan kampung juga penting diharap kerajaan tidak tercicir mengenai pembangunan pendalaman.
ReplyDeletepembangunan yang menyeluruh memerlukan masa untuk dilakukan. semua harus berganding bahu untuk menjayakannya.
ReplyDeleteusaa untuk melaksanakan pembangunan perlu dibuat berterusan.
ReplyDeletekawasan2 pedalaman/luar bandar Sabah memang luas dan tidak dapat dimajukan sekaligus dengan sekelip mata saja. peruntukan berterusan adalah perlu untuk menembusi kawasan2 ini.
ReplyDeleteSemoga masalah sebegini akan dapat ditangani. Pembangunan diluar bandar tidak seharusnya dilupakan.
ReplyDeletesebab itu setiap tahun ada bajet dari kerajaan persekutuan dan kerajaan negeri.. bermakna pembangunan di negeri ini dan negeri2 lain masih diteruskan..
ReplyDeleteterlalu banyak jalanraya di negeri ini yang memerlukan perhatian.. jalanraya yang sudah dinaik taraf pun sentiasa berhadapan dengan masalah kerosakkan.. belumpun masalah itu diselesaikan, timbul lagi masalah jalan di kawasan lain.. oleh sebab itu, sukar untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini sekaligus dalam waktu yang singkat..
ReplyDelete