RAKYAT SABAH MAHU NAJIB KEKAL PM

SINGAPURA : Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, arkitek pelbagai program transformasi kerajaan dan konsep 1Malaysia, adalah pilihan rakyat Sabah untuk terus kekal sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia, kata Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak, sambil mengulangi bahawa "tidak akan berlaku tsunami politik yang akan melanda Sabah dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13".

Beliau berkata ini terbukti daripada sokongan kuat di peringkat akar umbi dengan kehadiran sejumlah besar yang hadir bagi menyambut Najib semasa lawatannya ke Sabah baru-baru ini bagi menarik sokongan menjelang pilihan raya umum yang digelar 'Ibu Segala Pertempuran'.

Salleh berkata ia adalah konsisten dengan hasil kaji selidik Merdeka Centre baru-baru ini dengan meletakkan pemeringkatan populariti Najib pada tahap yang selesa iaitu lebih daripada 70 peratus.

"Dengan sentuhan ajaib konsep 1Malaysia oleh Najib dalam mentransformasikan negara untuk masa depan yang lebih baik, saya percaya pengundi akan memilih BN untuk terus memerintah Sabah dengan majoriti selesa dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13.

"Dengan menyatakan demikian, saya tidak fikir tsunami pilihan raya akan melanda Sabah," katanya dalam syarahannya bertajuk "Malaysian 2013 General Election: Will Polls Tsunami Hit Sabah?" di S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapura, hari ini.

Salleh berkata pilihan raya umum ke-13 adalah pilihan raya yang penting bagi BN kerana ia "dianggap satu ujian kepada populariti Najib memandangkan beliau memerlukan mandat yang kuat untuk terus memerintah Malaysia".

Bekas Ketua Menteri itu melahirkan keyakinan bahawa walaupun parti-parti komponen BN negeri PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah), LDP (Parti Demokratik Liberal, UPKO (Pertubuhan Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Bersatu), PBRS (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) MCA dan Gerakan berkemungkinan berdepan cabaran sengit dengan pembangkang di sesetengah kawasan, BN akan memenangi pilihan raya negeri Sabah, dengan "UMNO dijangka mengekalkan kesemua 32 kerusi yang disandangnya".

Menurut Salleh, seorang saintis politik yang terkenal, keyakinannya berdasarkan beberapa faktor termasuk kegagalan pembangkang di Sabah membentuk pakatan yang kuat dan ketiadaan seorang pemimpin Cina yang kuat dalam pembangkang.

Salleh mendapati bahawa Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) juga kekurangan pemimpin Kadazandusun yang berwibawa dan "tiada pemimpin Bumiputera-Islam berwibawa bagi menguatkan sokongan orang Islam dalam PKR".

Selain Pakatan Rakyat (Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Pas dan DAP), terdapat dua parti pembangkang iaitu SAPP (Parti Maju Sabah) yang berpangkalan di Sabah dan Parti Reformasi Negeri Sabah yang berpangkalan di Sarawak (Star), dan buat masa ini, ia kelihatan Pakatan Rakyat dan SAPP atau Star akan berbalah antara satu sama lain daripada satu lawan satu ke atas parti gabungan yang memerintah pada pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Katanya pada masa ini 25 kerusi Parlimen dan 60 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dipertaruhkan di Sabah, daripada 25 kerusi Parlimen itu 20 daripadanya disandang BN dengan lima lagi oleh pembangkang.

Salleh berkata daripada 25 kerusi Parlimen itu, 11 daripadanya adalah majoriti Bumiputera-Islam, lapan kerusi Kadazandusun Murut (KDM), masing-masing dua Cina dan empat kerusi bercampur manakala daripada 60 kerusi DUN itu, 31 daripadanya adalah majoriti Bumiputera-Islam, 17 majoriti KDM, lapan majoriti Cina dan empat kerusi bercampur.

Semasa pilihan raya umum 2008, BN Sabah hampir menyapu bersih dengan memenangi 59 daripada 60 DUN dan 24 daripada 25 kerusi Parlimen yang dipertandingkan. Bagaimanapun, SAPP meninggalkan BN pada 17 Sept, 2008.

Beliau berkata dengan sumbangan Sabah untuk 24 kerusi Parlimen, sejak itu negeri itu dianggap sebagai 'kubu kuat atau simpanan tetap' BN dan ia dijangka menjadi medan pertempuran barisan depan bagi pilihan raya umum ke-13, terutama di kawasan pinggir bandar dan bandar.

Mengenai penubuhan Suruhanjaya Siasatan Diraja (RCI) mengenai pendatang tanpa izin, yang amat dinanti-nantikan itu, yang diterima baik pemimpin politik dan orang ramai di Sabah, beliau menyifatkannya sebagai satu langkah di landasan yang betul yang melambangkan betapa seriusnya kerajaan Persekutuan menangani masalah yang tidak berkesudahan itu.

Sambil melahirkan rasa optimis berhubung peluang BN pada pilihan raya umum, Salleh berkata pembangkang di Sabah nampaknya akan menjadi "organisasi dengan struktur yang lemah" seperti yang dibuktikan daripada kegagalan mereka membentuk satu pasukan yang bersatu padu untuk mengalahkan jentera gergasi BN.

"Agenda Semenanjung" menentang "Agenda Borneo" telah menambah permusuhan antara Pakatan Rakyat dan Barisan Borneo Bersatu (UBF)," katanya.

Salleh menegaskan bahawa sokongan masyarakat Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) dengan Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan yang berkarisma kekal utuh dengan begitu ramai orang menjauhi pengerusi Star cawangan Sabah Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan yang melaung-laungkan perjuangan "Sabah untuk Rakyat Sabah".

"Sikap perpaduan yang ditunjukkan Pairin, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup (PBRS) dan Bernard Dompok (UPKO) baru-baru ini adalah simbol isyarat bahawa semua pemimpin Kadazandusun bersedia untuk mengetepikan perbezaan masing-masing bagi memastikan kemenangan besar buat BN," katanya sambil menambah bahawa pembangkang gagal untuk menunjukkan bahawa ia adalah sebuah parti alternatif kepada BN di Sabah. (Bernama)

SABAH NO LONGER SAFE!

By : QUEVILLE TO

The Sabah STAR leader believes that the invasion of Lahad Datu by 'foreign forces' is a prelude to a reconfiguration of political power in the state and region.

PENAMPANG: The reverse takeover of Sabah, a situation forewarned by local politicians where immigrants gradually take political and economic control of the state, is not as far-fetched as it seems, says Jeffrey Kitingan.

The Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) leader believes that the invasion of Lahad Datu by ‘foreign forces’ is a prelude to a reconfiguration of political power in the state and region.

“It is only a question of time if nothing is done urgently to beef up security of the state,” he said here, citing the huge presence of foreigners in the state coupled with the armed intrusion by an ‘army’ from Sulu as a tipping point.

“We seem to have no more security as a state in the federation although we formed Malaysia together with the assurance of military security. Now Sabah is no longer safe with the intrusion of the army of the Sultan of Sulu in Lahad Datu,” he said.

He questioned the easy entrance of such a large group of people into Sabah despite the presence of the navy and marine police, the intelligence units and the other security forces which had been assembled and deployed in the state at great cost.

“Today, the threat to our security is not just physical but also in politics where we are also no longer safe with the illegal immigrants who have been given ICs and the right to vote.

“If the federal government cannot guarantee us security, we the citizens of Sabah need to do something to ensure the security of Sabah. One important idea espoused by STAR is the establishment of the Sabah Homeland Security, Immigration and Registration (authorities) when we come to power,” he said.

“Sabah is ours, our future is in our hands and we cannot depend on outsiders nor Sabahans who have become stooges and proxies of outsiders,” he said after welcoming 163 leaders and members of the now defunct Sabah People’s Front (SPF) into STAR on Sunday.

He pointed at SPF as an example of how its supporters and members lost their political platform when it was taken over by a Sarawak group and its name was changed to Sarawak Workers’ Party.

Among the 163 former SPF leaders who joined Jeffrey’s STAR were Joseph Lusin Balangan, the former SPF treasurer general who was also the chief co-ordinator for Papar parliamentary constituency and Kawang state constituency, Jefry Kumbang (Tenom) and Elzear Maggin (Tuaran), state constituency co-ordinators Doris alom (Bongawan) the SPF Women’s Movement chief, Chok Yit Min (Apas), Bidin Jawa (Sulabayan), Wilfred Kilos (Moyog), Kundian Durasim (Tamparuli), Rain Stibin (Karambunai), Tony Foo (Tg. Aru) and Lee John (Matunggong).

Positive implications

Lusin, speaking for the group, said that SPF had 37,000 members throughout the state and they had identified 18,400 who want to join STAR.

Jeffrey also commended the group for having taken the bold step to join his party and continue their political struggle to champion Sabah’s rights.

“Their joining STAR has many positive implications. They first of all are saying to the people of Sabah and other local political parties that they have to unite in order to build up our strength to demand for the rights of Sabah.

“They appreciate that Sabah is our country and together we will march forward to face the various problems and challenges. Sabah has lost its autonomy and independence, continues to lose its natural resources which are being siphoned out of Sabah.

He said the amount totalled RM24.7 billion in 2012 alone while revenue from petrol extracted from the state was RM18 billion last year but the state only got RM4 billion.

“What a tragedy to know that Sabah is so rich but the people are so poor,” he said and mocked the announcement by the government that Sabah’s poverty had been reduced as “strangely the people don’t feel any of it”.

“They keep losing the right to their lands and deprived of the NCR to the point that they have to collect money and go up and down the courts to fight for their rights just because they are living in the forest reserves which they have been in long before the areas were converted into forest reserves,” he said.

Federal Government, 'Sulu Sultan' cannot act with impunity

It's not true to say that the Federal Government, or "Sulu Sultan" whatever for that matter, can do whatever they like and get away with it.

The underlying concepts in the Constitution are Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights.

Towards this end, the Courts keep a check on the discretionary powers of Government in order to ensure Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights.

We cannot wish away a multitude of sins by saying that Sabah is still in Malaysia or keep quiet when some riff-raff of a Filipino from Sulu claims that he's the "Sultan of Sabah" and occupies Lahad Datu in defiance of the Constitution, the Governor and the Huguan Siou.

It's unfortunate if we don't understand that the Constitution is a Social Contract between a State and a People, governing the relationship between the State and the People, between the State and Individuals, and between Individuals.

Having said that, it's undemocratic for starters to promote any form of seat-sharing as it circumscribes the democratic process by endorsing elite power-sharing to deny the grassroots majority meaningful participation in the electoral and democratic process.

It's undemocratic for any party or coalition to remain indefinitely in power.

If a people are convinced that a ruling party or coalition cannot be dethroned from power through the electoral and democratic process, then it signifies that they have lost their Sovereignty and have the Constitutional Right to take to the streets and demand that an all-party Interim Government be set up to oversee free and fair elections or create a Revolution to set up a Revolutionary Government and write a new Constitution to replace the old Constitution rendered null and void by the revolutionary process.

From this we can see that any claim by any so-called Sultan of Sulu to private property rights to Sabah and Sovereignty over Sabah is preposterous.

The Sovereignty of Sabah rests with its people.

It will be interesting to see how the so-called Sultan of Sulu will enforce his nefarious designs over Sabah.

He will either be chased into exile by a revolutionary uprising of the people or killed/executed during such a Revolution together with his entire family and relatives.

Many so-called Monarchs have lost their heads throughout history at the hands of the people. (FMT)

GOODIES FOR SABAH IN PAKATAN MANIFESTO

By : G VINOD

SHAH ALAM: Pakatan Rakyat today unveiled its election manifesto, giving more 'goodies' to the people of Sabah and Sarawak. The manifesto was launched at the fourth Pakatan convention here.

DAP Vice-Chairman M Kulasegaran told the nearly 1,000 participants at the Shah Alam Convention Centre that Barisan Nasional had neglected the East Malaysians for far too long.

“Therefore, if elected to federal power, we will set up two second level national oil companies in Sabah and Sarawak. These companies will serve to safeguard the interest of our East Malaysian brothers and provide employment to them,” he said.

Also present were PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli and PAS central working committee member Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Kulasegaran, who is also Ipoh Barat MP, said that the Pakatan government would also implement a mammoth highway project in East Malaysia, currently named the Pan Borneo Highway.

“The highway will link Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Kudat. This is one of our measures to implement infrastructure projects equally in both East and West Malaysia,” he said.

He also reiterated Pakatan’s earlier promise to increase oil royalty from 5% to 20% if elected to power.

On reforms of public institutions, Kulasegaran said the Pakatan government would introduce the National Anti-Corruption Policy, or Debaran, that will be tasked with coming a comprehensive solution to combat graft.

Under Debaran, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would be given powers to haul up and prosecute corrupt officials in court.

Chipping in, Dzulkefly said that other institutions such as the police force would also be strengthened in order to combat crime.

“We will also set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission [IPCMC] to monitor the police force,” he said.

Rafizi said the Pakatan government would also deal with the menace of monopoly in the economy by forming the Anti-Monopoly Commission.

He added that a Public Contracts Commission would also be set up to revise and study all public concessions for the benefit of the public.

“We need to ensure that those who control the telecommunications, pharmaceutical and other industries do not form a cartel.

“In addition, we will review our agreements with the independent power producers [IPP] that is costing taxpayers billions of ringgit, on top of the surging electricity tariff,” he said. (FMT)