The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced yesterday that a high-powered Cabinet sub-committee will be set up to carry out the government’s efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty among all races by 2010.
When Abdullah comes to Sabah next Tuesday (January 29) to launch the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC), he should explain to Sabahans what this high-powered committee means to Sabah.
This is because 14 years ago, in its manifesto to capture Sabah state power from PBS, the Barisan Nasional pledged to create a “New Sabah” and promised, among other things, to reduce the poverty level in Sabah from 33 per cent in 1994 to zero in the year 2000.
However, this promise of zero poverty in Sabah by the year 2,000 was never fulfilled. According to the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the incidence of poverty in Sabah in 2004 was the highest of all states in Malaysia at 23 per cent, nowhere near zero incidence and higher than Terengganu (15.4%) and Kelantan (10.6%).
Sabah had also the worst incidence of hard-core poverty in 2004 at 6.5% as compared the next three states with high incidence, i.e. Terengganu 4.4% and Kedah and Kelantan 1.3%.
Now, eight years after its failure to honour its pledge to reduce poverty in Sabah to zero in 2000, the Prime Minister is talking about eradicating hard core poverty by 2010.
When will the Barisan Nasional honour its 1994 Sabah state general election pledge to reduce poverty to zero in the state? Will the Sabah Development Corridor take over the 1994 Barisan Nasional broken pledge to achieve zero poverty rate in Sabah by 2000 with a new deadline for zero poverty in Sabah?
Will Abdullah be able to announce the new date for the reduction of poverty to zero in Sabah when he launches the SDC next Tuesday?
(Media Conference Statement 2 in Tawau on Monday, 21st January 2008)
#1 by madmix on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 5:51 pm
There is no such thing as zero poverty. That in itself was a lie to start with. Maybe if we switch to a total communist welfare system we may have near zero poverty, but then again, that sysetem have to proven to create more poverty.
#2 by ahkok1982 on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 6:03 pm
only bull droppings come out of his mouth…
no country in this world have zero poverty. Just another political gimmick.
Still remember the last time when they launched that inflasi sifar campaign…. another stupid idea… if inflation = zero, that means that there is no economic growth in the country. well, in a way, they are heading that way… they might even perform beyond expectation by having recession rather than growth.
#3 by anak sungeisiput on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 6:04 pm
Quote: All political parties and contesting candidates should not make use of sensitive issues to canvass support in the next general election, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said.Unquote
Since the whole architecture Malaysian political,social and economic structure is under pinned by race, religon, and interpretation of the Malaysian constitution, espcially the missinterpretation of Article 153, can some one ask this gentleman, a benficiary of the BN system, how can one avoid “sensitive” issues and better still would he dare to list the do’s and donts, if he has that level of intellect to so.
#4 by Vince on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 6:09 pm
Just as when our government love to compare us with 3rd world country such as Africa countries, and claimed that we are much better than so many countries in the world. I am sure they will find some sub-standard criteria as bench mark for ZERO poverty. That is the BN style of “Malaysia Boleh”.
#5 by Saint on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 6:38 pm
Make a good election pact and give BN and its head a hard deserved leave
#6 by legalsabahan on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 8:45 pm
Some people talkin bout getting more petroleum revenue for Sabah, some suggest that government should get more giant project!
How about I suggest that we should eliminate RASUAH before we do all the thing!! If corruption is not eliminated, more Osu Sukam case will happen, then no real meaning for Sabahan to get all the petroleum revenue or giant project.
and get rid of all the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, who waste all our resourses and treaten our peaceful life!!
WAKE UP SABAHAN!
WAKE UP MALAYSIAN
#7 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 8:48 pm
With BN in control, SAbahans may not even be able to eradicate hard core poverty by 2057 which also happens to be Pak LAh’s wishy-washy dream year for Malaysai to be great!
Funny, how can he be so confident in setting a futuristic date when his own bones may not even be able to survive the ravages of the grave?
#8 by chiakchua on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 9:06 pm
Yes, eradicate RASUAH and things will improved immediately.
The country is under total corruption under UMNO!
1. UMNO leaders reap national wealth through projects awarded to their proxies under the pretext of to help the Bumiputras.
2. Bumiputras are heavily bribed by UMNO with NEP to get their full support and continue ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ of the country.
3. UMNO bribe non-Malay BN leaders with position and wealth to psycho certain percentage of non-Malays to vote the BN into power, on top of the full support of the Bumiputras.
The dominance will only end when the oil wealth and income tax revenue greatly reduced and unable to keep all those in the ‘corrupt chain’ happy.
The right minded Malaysian must pray for the day.
#9 by undergrad2 on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 11:05 pm
“Will the Sabah Development Corridor take over the 1994 Barisan Nasional broken pledge to achieve zero poverty rate in Sabah by 2000 with a new deadline for zero poverty in Sabah?” KIT
BN has left a string of broken promises to the people of Sabah. How could they not when the Kuala Lumpur based government is itself broken?
#10 by limkamput on Monday, 21 January 2008 - 11:56 pm
Assuming that Kadazan, Dusun and Murut (KDM) are united, can they ever win enough seats to form the next state government? Has the racial composition and delineation of constituencies in Sabah changed so much that KDM, although probably still majority in number, may not actually be able to win enough seats to form the next government? Please don’t ask me to answer. I don’t know.
#11 by sj on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 1:35 am
Musa Aman, is jumping with glee as more money will be coming into his pocket.
#12 by Count Dracula on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 5:54 am
“Please don’t ask me to answer. I don’t know.”
What do you know?
Do you know that Kadazan and Dusuns comprise a mere 20+ % of the total population of Sabah? If they put their weight behind the DAp it may make a difference or it may not.
#13 by ahkok1982 on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 7:49 am
right now it is all talk… a few things which must be asked
1) how would the mega projects elevate Sabahans from poverty?
2) What is the definition of poverty in this context?
You may have a mega project everywhere but if it does not benefit anyone other than the cronies, then there is no point in doing such projects in the name of eradicating poverty.
With his small pea sized brain, he may think that poverty is earning less than RM200 a month to feed a family of 4. If that is so, he can just create simple jobs like road sweeping or janitors with an equal low wage.
#14 by Jimm on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 8:13 am
We are made poor by standard and mindset progress by BN in the interest to gain full control of this country.
All these are their GE stories ..
just proven to enable to gain more votes again from Malaysian everywhere …
#15 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 8:16 am
Want to reduce poverty in Sabah to zero? Ask Singapore to run it. Case close.
#16 by Wurotzman on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 11:43 am
As much as AAB wants to eradicate poverty, all of us know that it will not happen because some little nepoleon will probably get all the profit and little funds flows down to the common folk.
All this will not stop unless AAB is serious about fighting corruption and start walking the talk. Much has been promised by him. But little is done. and to be honest..i don’t think these type of corridors will do much.
#17 by Luther on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 4:16 pm
huh,the sabah will get zero and nothing else left behind if they ever trust him.
they trust the BN they became non muslim bumiputra,how come bumiputra must be devided to 2 jenis?
no allah for your agama ! don’t forget this is your God’s name and yet It was taken away, may be you need another 4 years or more to get it back or never.
Vote them out or no nothing anymore my dear sabahan/sarawakian.
#18 by cheng on soo on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 4:33 pm
Zero poverty by 2010?? Sabah is near Kaltim (Kalimantan Timur.). Even using Kaltim, benchmark, also cannot achieve zero poverty by 2010!
#19 by limkamput on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 6:54 pm
What do you know? dracula
good, you clever lah, thank you.
#20 by alaneth on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 7:04 pm
Malaysia should really join the NATO club:
1. IDR
2. East Dev Corridor
3. Northern Dev Corridor
4. Sabah Dev Corri………………….
See in 5 yrs time – No Action, Talk Only (NATO)…
#21 by johnson chong on Thursday, 20 March 2008 - 3:32 pm
Even though BN had hoodwink Sabah for so many years but sadly still so many blind leaders leading the blind and this comprises the majority of the voters. DAP must change their campaign strategies otherwise no matter how many elections hold in Sabah BN will still rule.