One Malaysia which means only Malaya

By Joseph Lakai

A very apt name to call the RMK10 as Rancangan Malaya Ke10.  Najib is not talking about Malaysia he is just talking only about Malaya specifically Klang Valley and Selangor.

I bet my bottom ringgit ( not that much) that Sabah will get the 2nd highest allocation and Sarawak will get the 3rd largest allocation.

The local Ministers will be so happy patting each other’s back on a job well done.  But wait a minute, “Where is the money, Show me the money!”

Sorry guys to get to the money you have to prepare stacks of report (delaying tactics) and these papers must get through the gamut of desk officers starting at the state level up to the Federal level.  That will take the Sabah delivery system at least 3 years to prepare and send.

By that time everything has to change because by then the plan is undergoing its Mid-Term review.  It’s a good way of delaying the projects which means that money for the projects will be delayed as well.  Then there are the land acquisition issues, weather issues and all the issues just to delay the project.

The executing agencies will be blamed for these delays.  By that time a new plan has to be ready.  The projects identified will then become continuation project.  It may even go through the process again as new project for the next 5 years.

In as far as Sabah is concerned, the Coal Powered Plant is going to be shoved down our throat, like it or not.  There is RM7 billion allocated for it.

Sarawak seems to get its Aluminum Smelter Plant but Bakun is not even completed yet, wonder where they are going to get the electrical power.  That must be the other Coal Powered Power Plant which takes half of the RM7 billion.

Most of the projects are in Malaya, billions of it, where the money comes from only God knows where.

Najib can spend billions on railway track, roads, property development and human capital (40%) which is for training like MLVK. He doesn’t have money to standardize the prices of foodstuffs between Sabah and Malaya.  That is an anti-climax.

This means that Najib put more weight for MCA to maintain the Cabotage Policy and squeeze Sabah dry than the welfare of the people here.  So my fellow Sabahan, your children just have to cut down on their milk drinking.  No thank you to Najib, One Malaysia which means only Malaya.

Well just before Najib read his RMK10 Speech, our own Ministry of Tourism Datuk Haji Masidi Manjun was interviewed and he was still asking for more infrastructure projects.  To build roads he says so that the farmers can bring out their produce to the market he says.

But without any emphasis on the state agricultural development what does he think the rural farmers will bring out from their kampongs – may be rebung and pucuk ubi to be sold by the road side.

When their children get a bit older, they can use the road to run away to KK and stay in the squatter areas.  Or those that have a bit of money can board Air Asia and sleep in the streets in KL.

Whatever is the case, projects beget contract, and contractor beget pocket-money.  Hey election is near bah.

Joseph Lakai is Vice Chairman of Parti Maju Sabah (Sapp) N.34 Liawan CLC