Najib 'supply and demand' led to the country’s staggering debt to the tune of RM446 billion

KG Publicist

PAPAR : A former senior vice president of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) who had joined opposition State Reform Party (Star) has likened Prime Minister Najib Razak as victim of a “supply and demand” situation within the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).

Baharudin Nayan who is now vice chairman of Star Sabah and head its Pantai Manis state constituency, claimed that Najib, denied of two-third majority in Parliament since 2008, has increasingly been merely supplying to the demands of his unscrupulous colleagues in BN.

“Najib, now beholden to his MPs, has been extravagance on public spending, easily succumbing to demands by certain BN politicians and this has led to a record budget deficit this year and the country’s staggering debt to the tune of RM446 billion.

“Even federal minister Idris Jala has predicted that if Malaysia continues acquiring debt, the country may  be bankrupt by 2020,” Baharudin said in his speech at the launching of Pantai Manis Star in Kampung Limbahau Papar by chairman Dr Jeffrey Kitingan yesterday.

He said Najib’s government also has wrong priority in spending public money, leaving more needy infrastructures behind “personal demand projects” like the RM430 million Bum-Bum bridge in Semporna linking the town to Bum-Bum island.

“Maybe a bridge is not yet that necessary for Bum-Bum. This RM430 million if spent on asphalting some of the rural roads, almost all kampung roads in Sabah would have been upgraded.

“Perhaps a good ferry service is more apt for Bum-Bum island. The Federal Government could have just spent RM20 million or RM30 million on ferry and that’s it. But they have been lavish (boros),” said the veteran leader who was active in state politics since 1960’s.

Baharudin opined the Umno-led BN cannot be allowed to continue ruling Malaysia, lest the country goes to the drain with its accumulating problems derived from bad policies and wrong priorities of BN leaders held at ransom by their own vested-interest.

He hailed Dr Jeffrey as the single Sabahan leader who had been most consistent and unselfish in his struggle to win the Federal recognition of Sabah’s state rights and autonomy to manage its own resources and aspirations.

“He is our best hope when most the other Sabah leaders now are like “buffaloes led by their nose” being fooled around but of course once a while they get Najib to “supply” to their “demands” as evident in projects,” he alleged without mincing his words to the applause of agreeable crowd.

Dr Jeffrey in his address called on the multi-ethnic Sabahans to unite under Star banner and return its leaders triumphant at the coming general election.

“There might be a possibility that both BN and Pakatan Rakyat will only be separated by six MP seats at the coming poll and here if we are united in our voice we could make a difference for our state and the people as they would need our support,” he said at the event which was followed by a Kaamatan celebration.

Dr Jeffrey also said he was very happy and encouraged by the rising support of Sabahans to his party  and that so far Star had established itself in almost all (25) divisions in Sabah. “Todate we already have 170,000 members only within four months of setting foot to Sabah, and this speaks volume of people wanting a change” he said.

Also present at the event held at the house of veteran community leader Bernard Mojikon were Sabah Star secretary Guandee Kohoi and consumer activist Patrick Sindu who heads Star in Papar division.