It is scheduled that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be presenting 11th Malaysia Plan in the next Parliament sitting on May. It is utterly important and crucial for Sabah to resolve several problems such as lacking infrastructures as well as poverty and to develop as a progressive state in 2020.
Before we look into the 11th Malaysia Plan, we should examine the 10th Malaysia Plan from 2010 to 2015 whether it has achieved its goals and particularly in Sabah’s perspective, did the outlined targets and goals drafted for Sabah were accomplished?
Look at the 10th Malaysia Plan which projected that RM230 billion will be utilized as development expenditures in the budget for five years, there are three major goals set by the government to upgrade basic infrastructures in Sabah especially to resolve the poverty and injustice in rural area.
1. The government will focus on expansion and upgrading the rural road networks. By the end of plan period, a total of 2,540 kilometers paved roads will be constructed in Sabah. Also, 2.7 billion of allocation will be spent to build and upgrade road in Sabah.
2. More intensive efforts will be undertaken to increase the extent of treated water in rural areas by upgrading and building new pipelines and water treatment plants. The targeted coverage of rural houses with access to clean or treated water in 2015 is 98% in Sabah. In other words, a total of 112,700 houses in Sabah will be supplied with clean or treated water.
3. During the plan period, the coverage of electricity supply in rural areas will be extended through the national grid and alternative systems such as mini-hydro and solar hybrid. Targets for rural electricity coverage will be 99% in Sabah and Sarawak. Targets for additional houses with supplied with electricity are about 59,000 houses in Sabah.
Besides that, there are other goals such as modernization of rail network in Sabah and increase broadband penetration in Sabah especially rural area.
I would like to query the government the status of each project. Have them been accomplished by end of this year? I believe that Sabahans have right to know are these promises as well as goals have been fulfilled and achieved.
Today, it is remarkable day for DAP Sabah and its Impian Sabah team at Pitas here celebrating the road opening and installation of road sign for Jalan Impian-Amuno which was constructed and sponsored by DAP-Impian Sabah team and great efforts by local villagers. It has not only showed that DAP as opposition party is really sincere and able to work for the people, but also shows that the government had failed to provide basic infrastructure and necessities for rural folks in Sabah.
DAP Sabah Treasurer Tan Lee Fatt, DAP Sabah Political Education Director Phoong Jin Zhe and DAP Sabah Assistant Organizing Secretary Henry Shim have attended this ceremony as well.
In this case, the federal government had failed to fulfill the promise which was made 16 years ago. There are six villages comprising of hundreds of villagers are awaiting this promise and the road to link their village to the town. However, although Hishammuddin as Federal Cabinet minister had arised this issue in the cabinet, but it is still remained unaccomplished until DAP and Impian team to raise funds and help villagers to realize the long-awaited dream.
As Impian Sabah coordinator, the previous jobs done in Kampung Samparita Laut, Kota Marudu and Kampung Pangi, Tenom have proven that the federal government failed to delivery basic infrastructures to the villagers. The DAP-Impian Sabah team had helped the villagers to build gravity water pipe to access the water supply from the river. For the last 52 years after formation of Malaysia, I am so disappointed to see that the government had totally failed Sabahan in everything including basic necessities supply.
Therefore, look at the goals set in 10MP, shall we believe that 98% of water supply and 99% of electricity supply was fulfilled and accomplished by end the plan period in Sabah? I don’t think so.
From the record we have seen in these villages, I believe that there are hundreds or thousands of villages still out of water and electricity supply by the government. Apparently, the plan was drafted by officer who only sat in the air-conditioned office and without any idea what is happening on the ground and inside the rural area. It is completely a lie by the government!
Before government table the next Malaysia Plan, I urge the government officers to “turun padang” and observe what is really happening inside the rural area and federal government must explain whether these objectives were achieved.
As we must recognize that water, road and electricity supply are basic necessities for all, the federal government must really implement the plan and allocate enough allocation for the development in rural area in Sabah. It should be 100% of villages in rural area of Sabah supplied with clean or treated water and sufficient electricity as well as paved road.
By end of 2020 or the 11MP period, Malaysia is said to be a progressive nation. It would definitely becoming a laughing stock if there are still many villages in Sabah completely out of electricity and water supply. It should not happen and I hope the government could make it clear and precise in the 11MP.