Speech

by Lim Guan Eng

(Sandakan, Sunday): BN has turned Sabah into a land of broken promises and shattered hopes as not only the poorest and most undeveloped state, the worst place to live in Malaysia in terms of public amenities such as regular supply of power and water, but also the most dangerous state where the police not only fail to protect its citizens but can not protect themselves.  

And yet despite the attacks against police officers in Pulau Gaya in Kota Kinabalu and lack of public safety, IGP Tan Sri Mohd. Bakri Bin Hj. Omar in 2004 stated that Sabah had amongst the lowest number of reported cases of all crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. In Sandakan 15 years ago, I can still walk around safely at night. Now I am foolish to walk in town after 9 pm.

What is the use of talking about national integrity and sovereignty when large parts of Sabah are taken over by foreigners or illegal immigrants fraudulently given ICs under Project M? A BN component party admitted that there were an estimated 1.75 million foreigners in Sabah, including those in possession of Project Mahathir’s ICs. The state's population increased by 363% from 648,693 in 1970 to “about three million” in 2005, compared to Sarawak's 135% from 976,269 to 2.3 million.

Given that the state's population, according to official statistics, was 2.6 million in 2000, foreigners now outnumber the locals by two to one. If Sabah's rate of population increase was the same as Sarawak's, then Sabah should have only 1.5 million population today. It would mean Sabah having more than a million fewer people.

Two months ago on my last trip to Sabah, DAP had issued a challenge to all BN MPs from Sabah to move a Parliamentary motion to set up the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the reasons behind Sabah the worst place to live in Malaysia. Sadly none of the BN MPs showed any concern for the plight of Sabah during the last Parliamentary session.

Since the BN MPs have refused to move such a motion to help Sabah, DAP MPs will raise the plight of Sabahans during this Parliamentary session. DAP hopes that the BN MPs from Sabah will support this effort by DAP MPs to improve the lot of Sabahans in Parliament.

Figures in the Ninth Malaysian Plan (9MP) has shown Sabah with the highest population growth, the largest number of illegal immigrants, the highest poverty incidence, the worst income inequality between the rich and poor, the most frequent power supply breakdowns, the least developed state and the second lowest water supply coverage in Malaysia.

The following 8 facts based on the 9MP, are reasons why Sabah is the living nightmare for 3 million Sabahans in Malaysia as follows:-

1.      Sabah has the largest number of illegal immigrants and those with ICs fraudulently given ICs granted under “Project M” estimated at nearly 1 million. The extraordinary growth of the Sabah illegal immigrant population can be shown that in 1960, the Kadazandusun population was 168,000 and equaled the number of other Bumiputeras. In 2000, while the Kadazandusun population increased to 560,000, the population of other Bumiputeras had grown to 1.1 million;

2.      A high crime rate and one of the most dangerous place to live in Malaysia where police officers can not even protect themselves from criminals much less protect the public;

3.      Sabah is the least developed state in Malaysia, ranking last on the Development Composite Index (DCI) scoring 90 as compared to the highest of 109.6 of Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Even Kelantan is ahead of Sabah with a DCI of 93.1.

4.      Sabah is the poorest state with the worst incidence of poverty at 23% in 2004 as compared to Sarawak’s 7.5% and Kelantan’s 10.6%. The incidence of poverty in Peninsular Malaysia is 3.6% and for the entire country 5.7%;

5.      Sabah has the highest income inequality between the rich and poor with a mean monthly household income of RM 2,487 ranking eight out of 14 states in Malaysia but the worst poverty levels at 23 %

6.      Sabah has also the highest population growth rate in the country at 3.1% as compared to the national average of 2.3%. Its population jumped by 530,000 or more than 20% in the space of 5 years from 2.6 million in 2000 to 3.13 million in 2005, mostly due to illegal immigrant from neighbouring countries fraudulently given identity cards. Malthusian theory has made it clear too big a population would result in greater scarcity of resources and less developme.;

7.     Sabah has the most frequent power supply breakdowns in the country with the System Average Interruption Duration Index(SAIDI) of 4,109 minutes per customer per year. In other words 4,109 minutes is lost from power interruptions in Sabah each year by every customer. Each user will face almost 3 days out of 365 days without power supply in Sabah earning SESB the description Sabah Energy Supply Breakdown company. 3 days is probably an underestimation as many Sabahans are so fed up as to have given up on reporting power breakdowns. This compares unfavourably with TNB’s 147 SAIDI or only 147 minutes lost per year in Peninsular Malaysia.

8.      Sabah has the second lowest water supply coverage of 75% throughout the state just ahead of the 70% water supply coverage in Kelantan.

SESB Must Compensate All Consumers For Losses Incurred From Power Breakdowns.

SESB must compensate all consumers, especially businessmen, for losses incurred from power breakdowns. Not only is foreign investment affected, such frequent power breakdowns has made life miserable for consumers. Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman must explain why he has refused to direct SESB to pay compensation for when consumers are punished by cutting off their supply for not paying their bills?

Or perhaps I should ask Datuk Musa whatg he has done for Sandakan despite being from this area. Clearly being the least developed state in Malaysia is the reward to Sabahans for giving absolute power to BN without any meaningful opposition in the state. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The time has come for Sabahans to wake up by restoring democracy by voting in the DAP to provide a strong and effective opposition to fight for political equality, socio-economic justice and fight for a clean and good governance.

What have you got to lose when Sabahans are already the bottom state in Malaysia. With such abundant natural resources, it is unacceptable for Sabahans to live in poverty, live in fear from the lack of security from crime and large number of immigrants, bear the shame of being the least developed state in Malaysia where there are frequent interruption in power supply, poor roads maintenance and construction, frequent water supply breakdowns, a stranger in your own land facing illegal immigrants and also a deepening divide between the rich and poor.

DAP is an established political party with a proven track record that is reliable, courageous trustworthy, competent and principled. If Sabahans are to get their equal share of economic benefits and their democratic rights, then choose the DAP. Only the DAP is willing to serve you wholeheartedly with the principle that abundance are to be shared just as hardships equally to uphold democracy, freedom, justice, integrity and human dignity.

(13/08/2006)