DO not buy into the Barisan Nasional propaganda that everything is wonderful in Malaysia, Mohd Shafie Apdal tells Malaysians as the 14th general election looms.

The Parti Warisan Sabah president said BN was doing everything it could, via the media it controlled, to cover up the real state of the country and give rural folk a rosy picture of Malaysia.

“Information on everything – from news on the economy and the various mega projects being carried out to the fluctuation in fuel prices – is controlled,” he told a packed house at a Chinese New Year gathering in Sandakan today.

“But in reality, villagers are suffering. The prices of goods are not going down.

“While BN gives cash aid to Malaysians (through the 1Malaysia People’s Aid), the people are actually paying more than what they are getting, due to the goods and services tax, income tax and other taxes.”

He cited fuel prices, which change weekly, as an example of the distorted presentation of what was really happening in the nation.

“If the price of fuel goes up by 1 sen, it won’t be played out or discussed on television. But if it goes down, it will be played up to give the people the impression that all is fine.

“This is far from the truth. Look at Sandakan. There are many people unemployed… Many shops are closed, and it is not because of the Chinese New Year.”

He said even the RM16 billion Pan-Borneo Highway project was plugged as a “gift for Sabahans” by Prime Minister Najib Razak, even though it was the federal government’s responsibility to develop the state.

Shafie said while Putrajaya trumpeted that billions of ringgit were being channelled into Malaysia via foreign investments, there was no news on the number of foreign businesses that had pulled out of the country.

He said there was also nothing on Sabahans being forced to leave the state to work in cooking oil factories in Peninsular Malaysia.

“We are the largest producer of palm oil in the country, but crude palm oil is being sent elsewhere to be processed.”

He said such industries should be developed in Sabah, so that Sabah folk could be employed, adding that the same should be done in sectors like fishing and diving, where currently, all licences were approved in the peninsula.

“We don’t want Sabahans to go to Kuala Lumpur to obtained such licences.

“Warisan, if it forms the government, will make sure that all these licences are approved in the state. We don’t need the federal government to control the issuance of such permits.”

The Semporna MP said his Bajau ethnic group was also being used to launch attacks against his party, citing Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, who had branded him as being related to the Sulu Sultanate, which is laying claim to Sabah, and had called Warisan a “parti lanun” (party for pirates).

“I don’t know how they can come to such conclusions. But, it only shows that BN truly sees Warisan as its biggest threat to its hold on power in Sabah.

“In reality, there are more Kadazandusun and Chinese in the Warisan leadership. I am the only Bajau, and if I were to be toppled, they could do it at any time.” – February 18, 2018.