SABAH REMAINS A 'SAFE DEPOSIT' FOR BN

By : ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR (NST)

WORK more and talk less has all along been the guiding principle of Datuk Seri Musa Aman, the Sabah Chief Minister of nine years.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is all out to improve the livelihoods of the people, both in urban and rural areas.

Looking fresh and energetic, he flashed a knowing smile as he climbed down the stairs in Sri Gaya, his official residence. The 61-year-old politician had earlier agreed to sit down for an informal 'political talk' despite the short notice.

Though cautious initially, Musa became more relaxed as he explained the intrigues of Sabah politics, what was close to the hearts of local politicians and the real needs of the people.

Sabah politicians, whether from Barisan Nasional component parties or the opposition, put state affairs above all else.

For the fast approaching 13th general election, the issues of concern in Sabah are the setting up of a royal commission of inquiry on immigration, native customary rights land and Borneoisation, especially of the federal public services in the state.

Many Sabah issues are also misunderstood by outsiders, so much so that when Sabah BN lawmakers made demands in Parliament for what they say would benefit the people back home, they were seen to be acting for the opposition by their Peninsular Malaysia colleagues.

Sabah politicians are prone to switching parties or setting up breakaways when they feel their struggles on behalf of the people have been compromised. The Sabah Progressive Party, led by former chief minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, considered itself a BN misfit and pulled out of the ruling coalition on Sept 17, 2008, removing two parliamentary and two state seats from the BN totals.

There are many offshoots of Sabah-based parties. Ahead of the 13th general election, a Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party (STAR) was set up by maverick politician Dr Jeffrey Kittingan when he failed to get his pro-tem United Borneo Front registered.

Musa, as leader of Umno and BN in Sabah, has taken commendable measures to keep state-federal relations cordial, gaining the respect of Putrajaya. Large sums are pouring into Sabah from the Federal Government for development.

"The people like him, so BN will be returned to power in Sabah," says former chief minister Tan Sri Haris Salleh of Musa.

Another former Sabah chief minister, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak, also thinks BN can retain power comfortably should the coalition offer some young and new faces in its line-up. Salleh, who was state assembly speaker and state Umno deputy chief, does not think the opposition parties can swing voters to their side.

The opposition, adds Kota Belud member of parliament Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, is much weaker and has yet to get its act together. BN is still very much the Sabahan's choice.

Sabah, by most counts, will remain a safe deposit for BN and the coalition is far from being shown the door.

Musa had been returned in 2008 with BN's near-perfect record of winning 59 out of 60 seats contested, losing only the state capital, Kota Kinabalu, to DAP. The coalition also won 24 of 25 parliamentary seats.

Since he took office, Musa has made it his job to see that projects meant for the people reach their targets.

"My job, and the job of all of us in power here, is to improve the livelihoods of the people, both in urban and rural areas," he says.

Sabah has made marked social and economic progress, much of it attributed to successive BN governments.

Musa's focus has always been the state's economy, building infrastructure and public amenities, improving education facilities, managing concerns relating to illegal immigrants and helping the poor and needy, particularly the natives, who make up 25 per cent of Sabah's population and are traditional BN supporters.

Datuk Ronald Kiandee, the Umno MP for Beluran and deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker, believes that BN will be returned to power in Sabah in the current political environment.

"The politics of development is still a major factor in BN's success, especially in Kadasandusun and Murut areas," he says.

The state government is committed to spending RM4.04 billion on development programmes this year, the largest amount in the state's 48-year history.

Sabah has been cited for exemplary good governance and Musa is the "key driver" of economic growth and development in the state.

The Sabah Development Corridor, launched in 2008, has also begun to yield results with investment commitments exceeding RM63 billion, of which more than RM16 billion have been realised.

Sabah is among the top states for sound financial management, given a clean bill of health by the auditor-general for the last 11 consecutive years.

The state also received the highest rating of 'AAA' from RAM Rating Services for the last three years for its strong fiscal position as a result of a series of surpluses and accumulation of reserves.

It has also obtained ISO certification from Moody's International for efficiency and budget management for three consecutive years.

Though confident that Sabahans will not vote on the basis of sentiment, emotion or nostalgia, Musa wants his team to continue serving the people to cement their faith in BN.