Saturday 22 June 2013

SABAH LEADERS MISLED BY KL?






KOTA KINABALU: “It appears that Sabah leaders are being hoodwinked and misled by Kuala Lumpur and are failing to stand up for Sabah’s rights and entitlement on sharing of federal revenue collected from Sabah as well as on the oil revenues from Sabah’s oil and gas” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in response to the reply by the Chief Minister that links the 40% entitlement to federal allocations and that there is no urgency in review of the oil revenue.

The 40% of the net revenue collected from Sabah is Sabah’s entitlement under the Tenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution and should not be confused with allocations from the Federal government. 

The 40% entitlement is for the use of the Sabah government at its sole discretion to meet its State needs whereas the federal allocations are decided by the federal government.  It needs no reminding that the priorities of the State government for Sabah are very different from that of the federal government.

Much needed funds are required by the State government to carry out its programs for the people in Sabah and the additional funds from the 40% entitlement will not only enable the State government to perform better but also give a big boost to the State economy as well.

“As regards the issue of the amount collected, the Chief Minister was referring to collections inclusive of other federal departments and agencies like the Customs, Immigration and Road Transport whereas the RM38 billion quoted by me was based on the information given by the Sabah Director of the Inland Revenue Board which has indicated that RM40 billion was targeted to be collected from Sabah in 2013.  It was not an arbitrary amount given by me” clarified Dr. Jeffrey. 

In addition, the federal management and development expenditure in Sabah includes departments and agencies which overlap with and could have been performed by Sabah departments and agencies.   If these federal agencies were made redundant and or abolished, there will be considerable savings on management or operational costs which could then be channeled to development expenditure for Sabah which will further boost Sabah’s economy and enhanced benefits for Sabahans.

Sabah leaders need to start changing their mindset and remember that they represent the people of Sabah and need to look after Sabah and her people.   It appears that after decades of indoctrination by leaders from Kuala Lumpur, they are easily misled into forgoing Sabah’s rights and interests and failing to stand up for Sabah’s rights and entitlement.

As it is much of the wealth especially oil resources are drained from Sabah to fund development in Malaya leaving Sabahans to suffer as being the poorest and Sabah lagging far, far behind in development even in basic amenities like roads, water and electricity and medical facilities.

The federal government has failed to prioritize development in Sabah and has always been treating Sabah with contempt even today.

“Sabah contributed more than RM40 billion in revenue to the federal government and Petronas in 2012 yet the RM235 million water treatment supply project in Keningau had to be funded as a federal loan from Putrajaya.   There is no reason for the federal government to demand repayment for this basic amenities project for Sabah, in the interior of Sabah and at the heartland of the parliamentary seat of our Huguan Siou, when the federal government spends billions for other water projects in Malaya” added Dr. Jeffrey.

There is an urgent need for funds to bring development and progress to Sabah.  One of the other immediate source of funds for the Sabah government is through an increase in the cash payment for Sabah’s oil and gas.

A marginal increase of the cash payment from 5% to 10% will bring in an additional RM941 million to the State coffers which amounts to a 25% increase in the State revenue.   There is every urgent need and justification to seek a review of the oil revenue for Sabah.

It is high time for Sabah leaders to be visionary, brave and bold and demand for Sabah’s rights and entitlement of much needed funds for Sabah’s development and progress.  If not, Sabah will continue to lag behind like for the past 50 years or as better described as “IRI OM IRI” in the Dusun language.

47 comments:

  1. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    WHEN Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman took over the state government in 2003, he introduced a development blueprint called halatuju to propel Sabah to greater heights. Musa's now in his record 10th year in office. Previously, the longest-serving chief minister had served only nine years.

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  2. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    His halatuju focuses on agriculture, manufacturing and tourism as catalysts for the state's economic development. Known as a strong advocate of strict financial management, Musa, with support from his colleagues in the state Barisan Nasional government, has improved the state's finances significantly.

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  3. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    With its economy and revenue growing consistently over the last 10 years, the state government has produced a budget that has risen since 2003. Its RM4.088 billion budget for this year is the largest in state history. The figure is nearly double the RM2.3 billion budget in 2008.

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  4. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    The people of Sabah have every reason to rejoice over the big budget as this means more development programmes. The rising revenue and development budgets are the perfect riposte to critics, who describe Sabah as one of the poorest and least developed states in the country.

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  5. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    Despite uncertainties in the global economy and the fluctuating prices of oil, gas and commodities, such as palm oil and timber, Sabah's economic fundamentals have remained strong because of political stability, coupled with the state's administration and financial management.

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  6. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    Over the past 11 years, Sabah has been recognised as among the top states with sound financial management, which has earned it a clean-bill rating from the auditor-general. The state received the highest rating of triple A (AAA) by RAM Rating Services for the last three years for its strong fiscal position.

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  7. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    It obtained the International Organisation for Standardisation certification from Moody International for efficiency and proper state budget management for three consecutive years. The auditor-general's report for last year revealed the state's financial achievements.

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  8. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    For example, the state's reserves had exceeded RM3 billion, its revenue had surpassed RM4 billion, its actual surplus amounted to RM730 million, its development expenditure stood at RM1.17 billion and it had no outstanding arrears on federal loans.

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  9. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    The state has also reduced the number of poor by more than half last year compared with that in 2009. Preliminary results of a nationwide survey by the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister's Department showed the poverty rate in the state last year stood at 8.1 per cent compared with 19.7 per cent in 2009, the lowest in more than 20 years.

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  10. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    The survey showed that the state's monthly household income had increased by 29.4 per cent last year (RM4,013) from RM3,012 in 2009. The monthly household income in urban areas had increased by 22.7 per cent (RM3,803) in 2009 to RM4,668 last year, while in rural areas, it had risen by 33.8 per cent to RM2,913 from RM2,177.

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  11. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    In 2009, Sabah's poverty line stood at RM1,050, with the hardcore poor categorised as those earning less than RM520 a month. Meanwhile, the government has set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants. It has also issued communal titles for landless locals. The good ties between the state leadership and the federal government are key to the state's progress.

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  12. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    Parti Bersatu Sabah president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has described Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a "brilliant doctor of politics" because of his ability "to diagnose and understand Sabah's ills and prescribe effective medicines as remedial measures". The prompt and decisive response by Najib to the incursion by armed intruders into Lahad Datu and Semporna shows how much Najib cares for the people of Sabah.

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  13. SABAH LEADERS NEVER MISLED BY KL

    A concerted effort is underway to put in place a comprehensive and integrated security system in the east coast of Sabah and other parts of the state under the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone and Eastern Sabah Security Command.

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  14. Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) akan terus melaksanakan program pembangunan untuk rakyat mengikut kesesuaian dengan perkembangan semasa, kata Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

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  15. Beliau berkata proses pembangunan sesebuah kawasan dilaksanakan tanpa noktah dan ia diatur bagi memastikan ia mencapat matlamat kepada golongan sasar.

    “Inilah usaha dan komitmen kerajaan selari dengan amanah yang diberikan oleh rakyat,” katanya.

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  16. Katanya antara program yang diperkenalkan oleh kerajaan untuk meringankan beban rakyat adalah Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia, Rebet RM200 membeli telefon pintar, Sentuhan Kasih dan 1Azam.

    Beliau berkata berbeza dengan parti pembangkang yang hanya pandai menabur janji tetapi tidak mampu melaksanakan apa-apa program untuk membantu rakyat.

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  17. “Mereka hanya pandai bercakap kosong dan bohong seperti ‘Saudagar Ubat’ untuk meraih sokongan rakyat tetapi tidak mampu menunaikan janji yang mereka berikan,” katanya.

    Musa berkata parti pembangkang juga mempunyai rekod buruk dalam menunaikan janji mereka kepada rakyat.

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  18. BN mempunyai rekod baik untuk menunaikan janji dan melaksanakan program pembangunan untuk rakyat disebabkan mempunyai kemampuan untuk melaksanakannya.

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  19. Kerajaan Negeri Sabah membelanjakan RM3.499 bilion atau 80.14 peratus daripada RM4.366 bilion peruntukan 2012 bagi melaksanakan pelbagai projek pembangunan di Sabah sehingga 31 Dis lepas.

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  20. Ketika mengumumkan perkara itu, Ketua Menteri Datuk Seri Musa Aman berkata di bawah Pelan Pelaksanaan Kedua Rancangan Malaysia Ke-10 (RMK-10), Sabah diberi peruntukan sejumlah itu pada tahun lepas untuk melaksanakan sebanyak 785 projek.

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  21. Katanya prestasi itu jelas mengatasi catatan purata nasional iaitu 73.66 peratus.

    "Oleh itu, saya meminta kepada semua pegawai kerajaan negeri dan persekutuan supaya sama-sama memastikan apa juga projek yang telah kita rancang dan laksanakan mestilah diselesaikan mengikut masa yang ditetapkan.

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  22. "Selain itu, kita mesti mengetahui sama ada ia menepati sasaran serta memberi kepuasan hati kepada rakyat atau sebaliknya...mana yang ada kebaikannya, ia diteruskan dan kelemahan harus diperbaiki secepat yang boleh," katanya.

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  23. Datuk Seri Musa turut menyarankan agar setiap agensi harus lebih aktif menerapkan pelaksanaan penilaian "hasil" terhadap program atau projek yang telah siap untuk mengetahui sama ada inisiatif yang dilaksanakan berjaya mencapai objektif asal.

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  24. Kerajaan akan memberi tumpuan terhadap akses
    perhubungan ke Sabah dalam usaha menjadikan negeri itu sebagai pusat
    pelancongan utama negara, sekali gus melonjakkan sektor pelancongannya
    ke tahap lebih baik.

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  25. Menteri Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz berkata, keperluan itu penting kerana Sabah amat berpotensi untuk menyumbang kepada pendapatan negara menerusi aktiviti pelancongannya.

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  26. "Saya beri jaminan akan membawa isu ini ke Kabinet bagi memastikan akses ke negeri ini menerusi pengangkutan udara dapat ditambah pada masa hadapan, termasuk penerbangan terus dari luar negara

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  27. dalam meningkatkan lagi industri pelancongan di negeri ini, perkara utama yang perlu diberi perhatian oleh pihak kementerian adalah penyaluran dana.

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  28. Menurutnya, bantuan kewangan lebih besar perlu diberikan kepada Sabah dalam usaha melahirkan lebih banyak produk dan kawasan pelancong.

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  29. Jelasnya, keluhan dan keperluan pemain industri perlu diberi perhatian sewajarnya bagi memastikan industri pelancongan di negeri itu dapat dipacu ke satu tahap yang lebih baik.

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  30. Selain itu, pelbagai produk daripada masyarakat tempatan perlu dieksploitasi sepenuhnya untuk menarik perhatian para pelancong terutama dari negara luar yang sangat ingin mengetahui keunikan di Sabah.

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  31. Memiliki 32 etnik dan kaum di Sabah, merupakan tarikan luar biasa kepada para pelancong untuk menikmati serta merasai sendiri 'kekayaan' yang terdapat di negeri ini

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  32. Kerajaan Sabah berpuas hati dengan tindakan pantas kerajaan Persekutuan
    menubuhkan Kawasan Keselamatan Khas Timur Sabah (Esscom) dan Zon
    Selamat Timur Sabah (Esszone) di lokasi strategik untuk mengukuhkan
    lagi tahap keselamatan negeri itu.

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  33. Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah Tun Juhar Mahiruddin yakin usaha bersepadu
    yang dijalankan semua pihak akan memulihkan keadaan seperti sedia kala
    khususnya di kawasan pantai timur, sekali gus menyakinkan rakyat, para
    pelabur dan pelancong untuk terus melawat dan melabur ke negeri ini.

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  34. Beliau berkata kesan negatif kepada ekonomi ekoran insiden pencerobohan
    di Lahad Datu dan Semporna menuntut usaha untuk mengembalikan keyakinan
    para pelabur dan pelancong untuk melawat Sabah.

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  35. Sehubungan itu, saya merakamkan penghargaan dan ucapan ribuan terima
    kasih kepada kerajaan Persekutuan atas tindakan pantas menubuhkan Esscom
    dan Esszone," katanya ketika menyampaikan ucapan dasar kerajaan
    sempena pembukaan rasmi mesyuarat pertama penggal pertama Persidangan
    Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah di Likas.

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  36. Penubuhan Esscom diumumkan secara dasar oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri
    Najib Tun Razak pada 7 Mac lalu yang merangkumi kawasan pantai timur
    negeri itu termasuk Kudat, Tawau, Kunak, Sandakan dan Lahad Datu.

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  37. Penubuhan Esscom yang kini diterajui Ketua Pengarah Datuk Mohammad
    Mentek, antara lain bertujuan memantapkan lagi semua operasi yang
    dilaksanakan oleh pelbagai entiti pasukan keselamatan termasuk Angkatan
    Tentera Malaysia, Polis Diraja Malaysia, Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim
    Malaysia dan Jabatan Imigresen.

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  38. Sebuah kompleks pentadbiran atau mungkin lebih dikenali sebagai Mini
    Putrajaya akan dibina di negeri ini bagi menempatkan agensi dan jabatan
    kerajaan melibatkan petugas kerajaan negeri dan persekutuan.

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  39. Ketua Setiausaha Negara, Tan Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa berkata, kompleks tersebut perlu dibina bagi menempatkan hampir 90 buah jabatan kerajaan negeri dan persekutuan dalam satu kawasan.

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  40. Katanya, Kompleks Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan sedia ada di Jalan Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) ketika ini hanya mampu menampung sekitar 24 jabatan.

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  41. Cadangan ini akan dipertimbang dengan sewajarnya. Sebagai permulaan maklumat awal berhubung tanah untuk pembinaan bangunan ini akan dilakukan, seterusnya mencari tanah sesuai bagi melaksanakannya,

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  42. Sementara itu, Ali turut menyeru penjawat awam lebih kerap turun padang bagi meninjau masalah masyarakat, berbanding hanya duduk di dalam pejabat.

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  43. Menurutnya, penjawat awam perlu keluar dari pejabat dan mencari permasalahan rakyat, tidak hanya menunggu laporan daripada orang ramai atau setelah masalah disiarkan oleh media.

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  44. Katanya, kakitangan kerajaan perlu lebih efektif dan berusaha melaporkan sebarang permasalahan kepada jabatan terlibat atau setidak-tidaknya kepada majlis perbandaran di kawasan masing-masing untuk diambil tindakan.

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  45. Sehubungan itu katanya, pihaknya melancarkan Program Jejak Mesra bagi mencari dan membantu golongan bermasalah serta menyelesaikan masalah-masalah rakyat dengan kadar segera.

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  46. Jelasnya, pendekatan itu penting dalam usaha kerajaan mengurangkan berlakunya amalan birokrasi, sekali gus menangani masalah kemiskinan tegar dengan kadar segera.

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  47. Ia merupakan agenda transformasi kerajaan untuk menunaikan janji kepada rakyat, selain memaparkan sikap penjawat awam yang lebih berintegriti, telus dan cekap," katanya.

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