Musa downplays SAPP’s webtv

Charlie Rudai

Sabah Umno's membership has increased by almost 27,000 to 479,606 people and the state has been 'instructed' to ensure everyone is a registered voter.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman is nervously watching the growing reach of the opposition that has taken to the the Internet to spread their message to people in the state.

The usually tight-lipped chief minister exposed his discomfort with the new approach by the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) when he took time out to scoff at their Sabahtv.net web radio and television service.

He said the Barisan Nasional coalition government and Umno had no reason to fear the service which he said would be used merely to spread its propaganda unlike the government which does “less talk more work”.

Musa said it was not necessary for BN and Umno to resort to such tactics because “the people already know the programmes given to them by the government”.

He believed the move would not have any effect because “these are merely empty talk by people who have so much free time making assumptions and what not”.

“For us the government, we have a lot to do to ensure the people throughout Sabah will benefit from all the development programmes planned for them,” said the Sabah Umno chief.

Met after chairing the Sabah Umno liaison committee meeting in Karamunsing here on Wednesday night, he said it was also not necessary for Umno and BN to do so because “we are meeting with the people all the time”.

Musa was asked if Sabah Umno would be joining the cyber-political warfare with several platforms such as internet radio and television as well as social network Facebook, being used.

“We talk less and work more. What is the use of talking so much on the radio if doing nothing.

“We have so many programmes like agropolitan, Mesej Sejahtera among others all of which are to assist the poor folks,” he said.

Rising Umno membership

He said the ’1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now’ concept mooted by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was also geared towards helping the needy.

“So I ask the people not to waste their time by listening to empty talk … what is important (is that) we must ensure our future is secured,” he said.

Earlier, he said Sabah Umno membership had increased by nearly 27,000 to 479,606 and they have been instructed to ensure those who are eligible to vote would be registered as voters.

During the meeting, Musa said he also advised the Sabah Umno leaders to stay away from issues that would cause a split in the party.

He said it was important to ensure the existing strong unity and solidarity gained momentum towards the general election.

All division chiefs had also been instructed to activate their election “war room” in preparation for the next general election.

On another note, he said he also briefed Sabah Umno leaders on the on-going development projects being implemented by the government in the state.

In this respect, he said the responsibility of monitoring the development of the projects lied not only with the respective elected representatives but also the party division chiefs.

“This is to ensure that information could be immediately relayed to me if there is any glitch in the implementation of the projects,” he said.

The state government manages a ‘privatised’ website called Insight Sabah dedicated to projecting the image of Musa as a ‘Dear Leader’ almost in the mold of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.