A WORRYING picture of incompetence has emerged in the Warisan-led government as its key leaders claim ignorance over key issues and issue statements detrimental to the state, said former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee today.  

He said there also appeared to be a paralysis of government machinery as more than 2,800 village heads and community leaders had been sacked since the new government took over after the May 9 polls. 

“At the same time, appointments, such as local councillors, are taking too long, resulting in zero approvals of local development plans and other businesses. 

“This is fuelled by intense bickering among and within the ruling parties over appointments of local officials, including Community Development Leaders (PPM), local government councillors and political secretaries.

“The sum effect of these is a loss of confidence among the people towards the state administration as a coherent team,” he said in a statement. 

DAP and Upko leaders had, in recent months, taken to the streets to voice their opposition to the appointments of grassroots leaders. 

Yong said the Warisan-led administration had run from one mistake to another, all the while without a clear agenda to propel Sabah forward. 

“The government seems to have no idea that the Sabah economy is in doldrums caused by the free fall of crude palm oil prices and drop in tourist arrivals, two key sectors of the economy. 

“Prices are going up. Contractors are not being paid. Bank loans are slowing down. 

“These are critical matters that require the urgent and effective intervention of the government,” he said. 

According to Yong, the state government had also gone back on its pledges to appoint professionals to head government-linked entities, instead naming politicians to head these institutions. 

He said the government also appeared to be unconcerned about the illegal immigrant problems in the state, with its ministers claiming ignorance over the matter. 

“How can anyone believe the chief minister when he says he is unaware that the Immigration Department was carrying out an exercise involving immigrants when he is not only the state Security Council chairman but his party’s Youth leader is also the deputy home minister,” the Sabah Progressive Party president said, referring to the migrant rush to the Immigration Department offices in Kota Kinabalu last Thursday. 

Among others, he said the present Warisan-PH-Upko ruling parties also appeared ignorant over the Datukship controversy involving Sabah DAP politicians and ministers. 

“DAP Sabah chief Stephen Wong, a state minister, also claimed ignorance when his party masters in the peninsula questioned his acceptance of the Datuk award. 

“The Sabah DAP leaders were then publicly scolded and humiliated like little children. This also shows there is too much interference from Peninsular Malaysia’s politicians in the state’s DAP,” he said. 

He said the present state administration also appeared to be “blissfully” ignorant of the consequences of their statements he deemed detrimental to some of Sabah’s economic sectors and industries.

Yong cited Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Junz Wong’s announcement that the ban on river sand dredging had driven up the price of sand and hurt the construction sector.

“Similarly, his announcement on the restriction of seafood exports from Sabah had triggered off a chain reaction that had jeopardised the sector. 

“Banks have pulled back on their financing for the sector while seafood buyers in Hong Kong and China have turned to alternative sources in the Philippines and Indonesia. Sabah will continue to suffer from the loss of our export market,” he added.

Yong said the state government had also remained silent following the cancellation of the Trans Sabah Gas Pipeline that was supposed to channel natural gas from the west coast to power generation plants in the east coast.

“Since the federal government has cancelled this project, surely the state should propose alternatives to the loss of natural gas as a energy source in the east coast of Sabah. Instead, what we get is deafening silence.” 

Similarly, he said the state government had not come up with any answers following its inconsistency concerning the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) project.

“And what’s more worrying is that this government has not made any commitment to preserve the pristine Maliau Basin.

“Chief Minister Shafie Apdal’s statement that there needs to be feasibility studies on the impact of coal mining in the Maliau Basin is ringing alarm bells among Sabahans.

“It indicates this government would consider allowing mining instead of an unequivocal ‘no’, which the previous administration had done.” 

Yong said the Warisan-led state government appeared to have “conveniently” forgotten its promised review of the Tourism Tax as well. 

“Conveniently forgotten as well is the loss of 20% oil royalty.” – October 18, 2018.