Letters
by A concerned Kota Marudu resident

Ref : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/3/nation/22225285&sec=nation

Here is the local(Kota Marudu) perspective regarding the news.

Maximus Ongkili should be the last person to speak up regarding the issue of anti-hopping. Kota Marudu(P168)- the place that he represented since 1994 is the poorest and most neglected place in Malaysia. The northern and eastern districts of Sabah really deserves more attention from the government.

Here’s why:

1. The road leading to Kota Marudu, Kudat, Pitas are full of potholes, minor land slides and locals can testified that they have not improved for the past 10 years. The properly tarred road stops at Kota Belud. Not surprising as Kota Belud are represented by UMNO and the population mainly comprises Bajau-Muslim. One can see a marked difference in the border between Kota Belud-Kota Marudu, one will come to a stretch of uneven gravel road spanning almost 50 metres. The condition of the road is simply horrendous, causing most vehicles to breakdown after frequent usage. This of course prolong the time taken for the journey from all the northern states connecting Kota Kinabalu. Without proper roads, not surprisingly no development can be seen in these areas. These roads are even worse than the trunk roads that used to connect small towns in peninsulars in the 80s.

2. Electricity – Kota Marudu residents of course are not spared from SESB’s poor quality of service. Breakdown in electricity supply occurs frequently and calls to the office mostly are useless.

3. Water supply gets cut off everytime after heavy rain. The quality of water we receive most times are murky and smelly. This can be evidently seen by just driving past any housing area. Every house will equipped themselves with water tanks and pump, pre-empting water cut which is a weekly affair if not more frequent. It’s such a common sight in Sabah.

4. A very good indicator of standard of living/ poverty will be the healthcare standards. Sabah especially the northern states, record the highest number of cases of Tuberculosis, Leprosy, Malaria in the whole of Malaysia. Maternal mortality rate is much higher compared to all other states. Most children are malnourished with very little reserves, succumbed to illness easily. A doctor from the hospital once says, cases seen at local hospital are often critically ill, making it a miracle if patient can even survive to be sent to a referral hospital in KK.

5. Unemployment rate. A tour of Kota Marudu town or any other districts in Sabah will revealed that most Sabahan youngsters are loitering around. They can be seen mostly at billiard centres – a very common sight in Sabah. No one here seems to be very inspired by the Angkasawan boasted by the Minister in Science and Technology.

6. Teenage pregnancy is alarmingly on the rise.

If there are worse places than this, it would be Pitas, Kinabatangan(Bung), Beluran(Ronald Kiandee). Without the recent political tsunami, no one will pay attention to the plight of Sabahans. All of a sudden, BN leaders from Sabah are being put in so many important positions, a real mockery of how sabahans are treated by the government.

Maximus Ongkili is actually the real betrayer of the people. What clear conscience does he have to mention that MPs from Sabah and Sarawak are cheating the people by joining Pakatan.

What has he done for the people of Kota Marudu for the past 14 years ?

The news report referred to by the writer is the following:

Wednesday September 3, 2008
Ongkili raps Pakatan Rakyat, says ‘jump’ won’t happen

PUTRAJAYA: A Sabah senior politician has told Pakatan Rakyat to stop telling cerita dongeng (folktales) to the rakyat that Barisan Nasional MPs from Sabah and Sarawak will be crossing over because the “jump will never happen”.

Parti Bersatu Sabah deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said he was fed up with Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for making “baseless and unfounded allegations about us hopping to the Opposition fold” as such claims have sparked concern not only among other Barisan component parties but also the people of the two states.

“Talk about us becoming katak (frogs), jumping to their side is a whole lot of nonsense. We are faithful to Barisan.

“Barisan may not be perfect but it forms the best government Malaysians can ever have. I, for one, am anti-hopping. Those who want to leave the Barisan fold should not cheat the rakyat who had elected them because they were part of the coalition,” he said yesterday.

Dr Ongkili was commenting on claims by Anwar of a “clear and true possibility” that MPs from Sabah and Sarawak were planning to leave the coalition to join Pakatan.

The Kota Marudu MP, who is Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, said if there were MPs who planned to cross over, they should ask for the people’s permission by going for a by-election.

“If the people still choose them even after leaving Barisan, then they can go with a clear conscience. Otherwise, they are only betraying the rakyat,” he said.

On claims that several of his fellow MPs were questioned by the Special Branch on the matter, Dr Ongkili said he was unaware of this, adding that he had not been questioned by the police.