This morning I was in Sandakan where I had issued a challenge to the Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah to a night-tour of Sandakan as he had disputed my statement that Sandakan is a ghost town after dusk.
I had given Tan 48 hours to respond to my challenge and if he dares to accept, we can then fix a date for a joint night-tour of Sandakan to establish whether Sandakan becomes a ghost town as soon as the sun goes down, with the local people of Sandakan deserting the town centre for the safety of their homes or to the outskirts of Sandakan from the third mile.
I am very shocked that Tan, who is a three-term State Assemblyman for Sandakan, representing Tanjung Papat, should challenge my statement that Sandakan is a ghost town after dusk – as this is not a recent phenomenon but is the sad fact about Sandakan for over two decades, covering the entire period that Tan had been elected representative for Tanjong Papat.
What did Tan do in his 15 years as Sabah State Assemblyman for the area, with two terms as Cabinet Minister and now as Deputy Chief Minister, to revive Sandakan to its past vibrant and flourishing glory as “Little Hong Kong”?
Instead of restoring the night-life of Sandakan so that it does not become a ghost town after dusk, the “ghost town” problem has spread its tentacles outwards to cover an increasing stretch of real property which is now some three miles from the town centre.
Tan should have thanked me for highlighting the problem of Sandakan and used his present position as Deputy Chief Minister to get the Federal and Sabah State governments to launch a programme to revive Sandakan after dusk and give Sandakan as “Little Hong Kong” a second life – and not try to deny the undeniable of Sandakan as a ghost-town after dusk for over two decades.
I await Tan’s response to my challenge for a joint night tour of the ghost-town of Sandakan after dusk.
(Speech 3 at DAP ceramah in Tawau on Monday, 21st January 2008 at 9 pm)
#1 by madmix on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 6:01 pm
In the seventies and early eighties, Sandakan was the timber centre. there was plenty of timber money flowing and there were lots of nightclubs with Taiwanese “singers”. Now the timber is gone and Taiwan have becomes a developed country, the girls have been replaced by mainland girls, but they do not come to sandakan as there is no money there.
#2 by izrafeil on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 6:02 pm
somebody whispered MARCH 9
#3 by k1980 on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 7:07 pm
Will the whole of Sabah become a “ghost state” before its inhabitants come to their senses and throw BN into the trash dump? I hope not
#4 by disapointed86 on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 8:44 pm
People at the top tend to dont even know what truely happen in their own area…why the people still vote for him?….brainless…
#5 by Godson on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 8:48 pm
This sabah DPM is thinking ” who cares “. If they dont want me, i just pack up and go. Why should i be borthered to visit them. Even if i dont visit them or bring development to sandakan, they still vote me. Every GE comes he will say, I win…I win….I win…..yeah.
#6 by toyolbuster on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 10:28 pm
Tan Kiah Shu may just take up Kit’s challenge. No big deal of a challenge, just pay RM20 for each of the locals to come out for a party on the night of challenge, get local performers like the AF artists wannabes who will be most happy to be showcased. Open up pasar malam stalls and give the locals some free coupons to redeem foods. Never challenge a Kiah Shu.
#7 by oknyua on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 - 11:18 pm
YB Lim, in its heyday, maybe 25-30 years ago, Sandakan was where millionaires were made. The place was full of workers from Sarawak, W Malaysia and Philippines. The millionaires’ children spent their weekend in Hong Kong and Singapore. At one stage, it was easier to find RM1,000 and RM500 notes in Hong Kong than in Sandakan.
The reason for this is that river slightly south of Sandakan – the Kinabatangan River. Dubbed at the mini-Amazon, this river was filled with logs that floated down and large ships would anchor at the mouth, lifting the timber to Japan, Korea. Now that timber has been exhausted, Sandakan returned to its Cowboy image once again.
I don’t want to fault Sandakan and the DCM Tan. Everywhere it is the same. In Sarawak, Tg Manis was the loading point of timber from the Rejang – heading to Japan etc. Timber is now gone, Tg Manis is struggling to find another industry. The same thing in Bakun and Kelantan. Timber loaded to trailers heading for sawmills and the sawn timber to feed overseas market.
With the raw natural products gone, the people return to poverty. The least they could do was to build roads, establish hospitals and clinics. Nothing – everything vacuum cleaner. When they want to make roads, borrow money from overseas. When they want to built bridge, get loan from China. In Sandakan, if the tax from this timber was used for Roads, all Sabah Roads would be surfaced. There would be roads right to the interior. Vacuum cleaner.
#8 by HB Lim on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 1:15 am
Uncle Kit, you are incredible. One moment on the Lingam’s tape scandal. Next moment on Sabah. Then Sandakan. How do you cope with this information overload? Can we ever have someone to replace you?
#9 by megaman on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 9:40 am
Sigh … everywhere they touched, it’s vacuum cleaned to point that nothing is left.
Sapu habis masuk poket …
Can’t fault the poor for voting in these penyangaks in the first place since they did bring in the $$$ although in a unsustainable manner but why keep voting them in after they have sapued everything ?
#10 by kritikus on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 10:06 am
Probably the DCM’s interpretation of a GHOST TOWN is that there are still the GHOSTS hanging around. Who said there is NOBODY. Brother Kit, we are all not as intelligent as the DCM. Kindly correct yourself.
He will win again with the votes from the GHOSTS, HANTU-HANTU LAH Bro, TAU SAMA TAU LAH.
GHOSTBUSTER
#11 by Godson on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 11:32 am
HB Lim, your right. Uncle Kit is incredible.
I have been following his messages everyday.
May God Bless him & DAP.
#12 by budak on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 11:43 am
i think he not even dare to walk onto street to buy newspaper during day time… :-)
#13 by ahoo on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 12:27 pm
Uncle Kit, you are incredible. One moment on the Lingam’s
tape scandal. Next moment on Sabah. Then Sandakan.
How do you cope with this information overload? Can we
ever have someone to replace you? HB Lim
I think he don’t relish this task BUT the fact that he is
still at it ( politic ) speak volumes of his passion for what
he stood for. To see justice done and the vision of
Malaysia for all Malaysian. The torch that he bears is not
glowing any brighter UNLESS we all rise up to walk with
him. First, by voting against those corrupted that walk in
the corridors of power and sharing YB Kit’s passion to see
a truly united Malaysians,…. old days of 60s & 70s.
YB, is not only incredible, in fact he is a ” thoroughbred ”
Malaysian where his whole political life is on show. True,
humble and an exemplary Malaysian. If only there are
more like him in Malaysia, this country may have been
better than the southern dot ! Nonetheless, the fight
for justice for all Malaysians should be his burden alone.
Let’s educate the folks in small places to vote where it
matters and take time to share this CNY in your own
way and impact whoever that will not vote opposition.
” Where angels fear to thread, fools enter ; where fools
fear to thread, devil’s lurk; where men fear to thread
( oppose the govt for wrong doing ) YB Kit’s enter.”
#14 by ahoo on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 12:31 pm
Oh sorry,… missed word ! It should read ” the fight for
justice for all Malaysians should NOT be his burden alone.
#15 by budak on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 12:49 pm
Uncle Kit is a TRUE BLUE Malaysian… :-)
he should remain as Ipoh Timur MP forever…
and keep fighting for Malaysian in other part of the country…
#16 by mendela on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 2:22 pm
Kit is always my first choice for the candidacy for Nobel Peace Prize!
Can all Malaysians at home and aboard help in nominating Kit as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate this year?
Anwar is a good choice too. Both experienced ISA suffering and torturing! Both are fighting for the well being for all Malaysians.
May be we should nominate both as a joint-candidacy for 2008 Peace Prize to stand a bigger chance of winning it!
#17 by liu on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 9:28 pm
It is not just Sandakan. Sibu is suffering the same fate. The town is a far cry from what it was 10 years ago. It is reported that there are 50,000 foochows from Sarawak in the the Klang valley and 40,000 Ibans from Sarawak working in Johore Bahru. We are not even counting those who have migrated overseas (as they see little hope) to Australia and New Zealand. It is a serious brain drain. Why Sabah and Sarawak, notwithstanding their rich resources, are ranked No. 1 and 4 respectively in the number of hardcore poor in Malaysia has to be answered by the politicians.
#18 by necromancer4good on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - 10:57 pm
blame the lintah darat UMNO