Ceasar Mandela Malakun
KOTA KINABALU: The National Deputy Youth Chief of Bersatu, Ceasar Mandela Malakun has questioned the motive of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking in issuing his statement calling for an emergency State Assembly sitting.
“There is no sincere intention on Warisan’s part for unity when all these while they have acted as if all the other political parties here do not have the state’s interest at heart. What they are good at is blindsiding Sabahans and propagating rhetoric and propagandas for their own self-interest.”
“On one hand, he said the emergency sitting is needed so that ‘a common position for Sabah to ratify at Parliament what the Sabah State Assembly have unanimously passed’ can be forged. On the other, the Moyog Assemblyman is obviously sending an ominous message in his lengthy statement hidden between the lines” said Mandela.
In his statement, Darrel suggested that all Sabah elected representatives put up a united front to fight for the state’s rights not just in the form of aids for the Covid-19 food baskets and vaccinations but also other matters like the Territorial Sea Act 2012.
Darrel said to do this, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government should seek out opinions through debates from the opposition representatives on ways to go about it.
Sabah Chief Minister YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Hj Noor has reiterated that Sabah is ready anytime to convene the DUN sitting and in due time so there is no need for a reminder from Darrel.
In any case, Warisan should know that the State Legislative Assembly sitting cannot be used to dictate the position of Sabah’s MPs in Parliament. In terms of belittling MPs, Leiking should ask his party colleagues in Warisan Plus to look in the mirror and recall how they ridiculed MPs from Sabah when they were in government.
He talks about the Territorial Sea Act but for two years when Warisan was part of the Federal Government, they took no steps to amend the Territorial Sea Act despite being given the portfolio of the Federal Minister of Law. Warisan’s promises of implementing MA63 are as elusive as the sight of Mount Kinabalu on a cloudy day.
They need to start contributing to strengthen the stability of Sabah’s Government and not seek to incessantly undermine it for shallow political purposes and contribute constructively and meaningfully to the debate on the way forwards for Sabah and her people. As both the ADUN of Moyog and MP of Penampang, he should contribute more meaningfully to our constituents and focusing on easing the burden of the Penampang people.
The Chief Minister of Sabah, YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Hj Noor has announced that RM100,000.00 will be channelled to all opposition ADUNs while the Prime Minister has announced that every MP will be receiving RM300,000.00 including the opposition lawmakers. Such bipartisanship and impartiality on the part of the PN and GRS government would have been unimaginable if Warisan Plus was the government. Instead of propagating Warisan rhetoric and propagandas, he should focus on helping Sabahans get through this difficult time, especially the rakyat in Penampang.
The GRS government has through representatives sitting in the MA63 Committee brought up and discussed issues pertaining to Sabah’s rights and these matters are being discussed and worked on presently.
“When you were in government you have been very quiet on pertinent issues affecting Sabah. The point here, if Warisan is really sincere in calling for the emergency sitting for the reasons mentioned, then it was not necessary for him to raise up other issues unless they have ulterior motives,” Mandela said.
Mandela who is also Political Secretary to the Chief Minister of Sabah also asked Darrel on the outcome of the ‘Bicara Rakyat” programme on MA63 organised by Warisan in Semporna in 2017.
“In a report by Warisan’s mouthpiece, Borneo Today, Darrel said all provisions pertaining to Sabah under MA63 must be fulfilled, which among them is the 40 per cent special entitlement calculated from 1963 to date, possibly with a quantum amounting to some RM1 trillion.
What happened to the RM1 trillion claim he so courageously asserted before Warisan unceremoniously became the government in 2018? Not only did his RM1 trillion claim vanish but along with it his courage to question the then Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when the latter said shortly after Malaysia Day in September 2018, the year Warisan became government, that the increase in oil royalty for Sabah would lead to the killing of Petronas.
“Darrel before he became the Federal Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said that this RM1 trillion was on top of the annual budget allocated by the federal government to Sabah. But what happened to this during his tenure in the Federal government?” Mandela asked.
“Let me also ask you about the Pas Sementara Sabah (PSS) that the Warisan-led State government wanted to introduce before this.
“What was your stand on the issue? There was a deafening silence from you although the matter becoming a reality was too close for comfort for all Sabahans at that time.
“Why was it when everyone was objecting to the PSS, you conveniently kept your distance?” Mandela asked.
This constant disingenuity shows Warisan’s insincerity to Sabah. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but it seems like the only type of unity of their interest is unity among their own opposition party. This is a time for unity of both sides to rescue Sabahans from the pandemic and to work together for a better future.
He said the GRS State Government had been working tirelessly hard to ensure the adverse impact of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown to the people’s livelihood is cushioned.
“Our elected representatives know what is expected of them. They have worked hard to ensure those affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO) gets assistance in their respective constituency.
“There is no doubt that the GRS Members of Parliament from Sabah will voice out the needs of the people and Sabah when the Parliament convenes. That is for sure!” he said.
Ends
