KOTA KINABALU: The people of Sabah, especially the Chinese shouldn’t be unduly enticed by the sweets being handed out by the Barisan Nasional, said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan.
The Sabah STAR Chairman, made this call in his speech at the Chinese New Year grand dinner at Buhavan Square, Donggongon near here on February 22. He said that the BN government had failed to significantly improve the economy, leaving many poor people continuing to suffer in the villages.
“The Chinese people too have a lot of complaints due to problems affecting their businesses,” he said. “So the government has to do a lot of sweet talks and giving false information about the economy doing well or having improved just to try to give false confidence to the business community.
“But I believe the Chinese community cannot be easily hoodwinked because they are the ones moving the businesses and they know what problems are going on. They have all these years been asking the government to abolish the cabotage policy, to look into the various problems facing the local manufacturers and oil palm mill operators, many of whom have closed down due to serious economic downturn. Kota Kinabalu alone is facing a huge parking problem and endless traffic congestion which are badly affecting businesses in the city.”
He said the people notice that at this time the government has been enthusiastic in giving handouts in the form of aid and grants for Chinese schools, Chinese associations and NGOs as well as religious bodies and temples.
“No doubt these are helpful, but the government is like giving fish for Chinese votes in the coming general elections,” he said.
“What we all need is the proverbial fishing facilities to catch our own fish. And these handouts do not contribute to the long term prospects of the Chinese community. What we sorely need are wholesome and real changes in policies of the government which will open more doors for economic advancement, not ad hoc and charitable handouts in the name of the Umno/BN govt.”
Meanwhile, the organizing chairman, Philip Among, in his welcoming speech, thanked the many sponsors who helped in many ways, including the gift of more than 100 hampers for the lucky draws. He said that as we celebrate the Chinese New Year in our customary harmonious, traditional and multi-racial society, we need to think about the future of Sabah and Sabahans. He invited all Sabahans particularly the people in Kepayan in particular and Penampang to participate in STAR Selamatkan Sabah Tanah Airku (Save Sabah My Homeland) series of campaigns.
“Penampang should be at the forefront of the fight for the restoration of Sabah's rights and autonomy,” he said.
Also present at the grand dinner was USNO’s president Datu Badaruddin Tun Mustapha as well as Abdullah Sani Hj. Salleh, USNO Deputy President and Datu Arifin Datu Abdul Salam, USNO Secretary General and other members of the USNO delegation. The senior STAR leaders present were the three deputy chairmen Awang Ahmad Sah, Daniel John Jambun and Dr. Nicholas Guntobon; Guandee Kohoi, Secretary-General; Hasmin Azroy Abdullah, Wiramuda (Youth) Chief and Melanie Annol, the Wiranita (Women’s) Chief.
Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, Chairman, STAR Sabah
I was at that particular function. All Jeffrey said on that day was a short speech that did not last 10 minutes: Rambling about 'warning from our forefathers' and the government aid for the people which he dubbed as 'gula-gula'. Kudos to the writer of this article though. Good embellishment. Just based on 'forefathers' and 'gula-gula' you manage to spin this very elaborate article. Regardless to what you write, Our DCM Datuk Yahya Hussin has made a point that the chinese community will still support the ruling government when he attended the Chap Goh Meh function in Old Putatan Town.
ReplyDeleteDeputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin expressed confidence that Chinese Sabahans will support the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming general election.
DeleteHe believes the Chinese communities, including those in Putatan, will continue to give BN the mandate to govern the State and country.
Delete"This confidence is based on the outcome of the transformation programme executed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
DeleteIt has brought benefits to the people, including the Chinese.
Delete"Therefore, there should be no reason for the Chinese not to support the BN to govern the country," he stressed at a Chap Goh Mei event in Old Putatan Town, here.
DeleteMore than 1,000 people attended the event organised by the Petagas People Leader's Development Unit.
DeleteYahya, who is also Petagas Assemblyman, said there is also solid evidence that could prove that the BN would win in the election.
DeleteAccording to him, these could be seen in the support, which is getting more obvious in states like Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan, after its people felt the hardship under the opposition rule.
Delete"The people want a government that is concerned about their welfare, instead of a government which makes empty promises," Yahya said.
DeleteHow did a short speech became a long speech?
DeleteBN is not the only party that has been giving sweet promises, even the opposition sweet talking the people into voting for them.
ReplyDeleteEven Jeff sweet talk the people. In a way, they are all the same.
DeleteEvery government will react that way when election is approaching. That is call campaigning. Even the opposition are doing it.
ReplyDeleteBarisan Nasional (BN) yakin sokongan dan kepercayaan kaum Cina tidak akan berubah pada pilihan raya umum akan datang.
ReplyDeletePengerusi Penyelaras BN Beaufort, Isnin Haji Aliasnih berkata dakwaan bahawa kaum Cina mengalihkan sokongan dan kepercayaan mereka sengaja dihebah-hebohkan oleh pembangkang.
ReplyDelete“Pembangkang sengaja membuat dakwaan itu kerana mahu mengelirukan rakyat dan seterusnya mencetuskan perbalahan antara kaum,” katanya.
ReplyDeleteIsnin berkata pembangkang juga cuba memperkecil-kecilkan kaum Cina dengan cuba memberikan gambaran negatif terhadap kaum itu di mata kaum yang lain.
ReplyDeleteKatanya, pembangkang mahu kaum lain melihat bahawa kaum Cina lebih percaya dan menyokong pembangkang.
ReplyDelete“Apa yang dihebah-hebohkan oleh pembangkang itu sebenarnya mahu mencetuskan perbalahan antara kaum sedangkan kaum Cina masih yakin, percaya dan terus memberikan sokongan kepada BN.
ReplyDelete“Kita berharap rakyat tidak akan mudah terpedaya dengan pembangkang dan begitu juga dengan kaum Cina, kita mahu mereka tidak diperbodohkan dan diperalatkan oleh pembangkang,” katanya lagi
ReplyDeleteMenurutnya, pembangkang sengaja berbuat demikian kerana mahu mencapai impian dan cita-cita sendiri.
ReplyDeleteKatanya, pembangkang bukan berjuang untuk rakyat tetapi untuk kepentingan diri sendiri dan seterusnya memenuhi cita-cita serta impinan pemimpin mereka.
ReplyDeleteBeliau berkata kaum Cina seperti kaum yang lain telah menikmati kesejahteraan, keharmonian dan kemakmuran yang diusahakan oleh BN.
ReplyDelete“Apa yang telah diperjuangkan oleh BN sejak dahulu sehingga sekarang telah dinikmati oleh seluruh rakyat tanpa mengira anutan agama dan juga suku kaum, malah BN juga tidak pernah mengabaikan kaum yang lain dan mengamalkan sikap pilih kasih,” katanya
ReplyDeleteDalam pada itu Isnin juga meminta agar kaum Cina tidak mudah terpedaya dan tidak akan terpengaruh dengan dakwaan pembangkang kononnya kaum itu dipinggirkan oleh BN.
ReplyDeleteKatanya, seperti kaum yang lain, kaum Cina juga memainkan peranan penting dalam membantu BN memastikan kesejahteraan, keharmonian dan kemakmuran terus dinikmati.
ReplyDelete“Semua rakyat memainkan peranan penting dalam membantu kesejahteraan, keharmonian dan kemakmuran terus dinikmati, perjuangan BN adalah mengutamakan rakyat bukan untuk diri sendiri atau kepentingan seseorang,” katanya lagi.
ReplyDeletePrime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal campaign to re-engage with ordinary people is set to pay huge dividends in GE13. Research by a leading think tank has revealed that rural Malay voters will help Barisan Nasional win nationally, and that it could pick up Penang and Kedah on the way to victory.
ReplyDeleteThe Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) is one of the most respected think tanks in the world, ranked seventh in Asia by the United Nations and the World Bank. ASLI said BN should win 123 to 135 seats at the very least, and the number could go as high as 150 if Najib can win Indian votes – which is very likely given his rapport with the Indian community – and undecided Chinese voters. This group would include the Chinese who are fearful of PAS' Islamic agenda should it ever taste power at the federal level.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line, according to ASLI CEO Michael Yeoh Oon Khing: "The coming election will basically be decided by rural voters in rural constituencies".
ReplyDeleteThe return of rural Malays to the fold will be a deserved triumph for Najib's government that has done so much to improve their lives. Aside from BR1M Peoples Aid and other 1Malaysia measures, there was the news on Wednesday that Felda Global has made RM900 million profit and is set to pay settlers a dividend of not less than RM1,000 each. If ALSI or anyone else conducted their poll again today, after this latest news, the swing to BN could be even higher.
ReplyDeleteThis comes as bad news for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's fabled Sabah strategy, in which he claimed the state's whopping 56 seats (of which Pakatan Rakyat presently has none) as key to forming an overall majority. Settlers? Rural voters? Welcome to East Malaysia, Anwar.
ReplyDeleteThis ALSI poll included detailed state-be-state research, and its forecast that Kedah would fall to BN will surprise few people. The PAS-led administration of the state has been abysmal since 2008, with 73-year-old Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak facing calls from his own PAS supporters to stand down.
ReplyDeleteThe forecast that Penang could also fall to BN will no doubt shock Pakatan, but it is no less comprehensible to anyone outside the Opposition. The DAP-led state government have taken the non-Chinese for granted for the past five years. Just a short drive from Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's condo-dwelling friends in George Town are rural Malays and poor Indians who feel they have been forgotten. The loss of Penang would be earthshattering – and perhaps terminal – for Pakatan Rakyat.
ReplyDeleteThe ASLI findings are consistent with the verdict last week of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the analysis division of the respected UK magazine. It not only predicted a BN win, but also said that Pakatan Rakyat would end up paying for its broken promises at the state level.
ReplyDeleteRemember, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sir Khalid Ibrahim has gone on record saying election promises are only good intentions and are not enforceable. Really?
ReplyDeleteThe ASLI study also tallies with the most recent Merdeka Center poll that showed Najib's personal approval rating at 61 per cent. His connection with voters transcends the party system and could prove to be BN's winning factor in GE13.
ReplyDeleteBut personalities aside, gaining the trust of voters and winning GE13 is all about promises fulfilled: promising political reform and then changing the way we vote, repealing the ISA, and empowering those who fight corruption.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's about economic reform: having a long-term plan for developed-nation status and along the way, delivering 6.4 per cent growth in the final quarter of 2012. Every time a voter says the economy is their most important issue, another heart sinks within Pakatan.
ReplyDeleteThe old saying is that Governments lose elections, Oppositions don't win them. But that doesn't discount the fact that Pakatan is doing all it can to mess this one up.
ReplyDeleteIf launching a manifesto that fails to resonate with voters isn't bad enough, then failing to agree on a Prime Minister this close to judgement day could prove the kiss of death.
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake, whatever findings ASLI is making publicly, the truth will already be known behind Pakatan's closed doors. This is why we are seeing unseemly spats, such as the recent PKR-DAP conflagration in Johor. In the face of defeat, it's every leader and every party for themselves.
ReplyDeleteApa pun yang pasti juga rakyat pula jangan mudah termakan janji yang dibuat oleh pihak pembangkang.
ReplyDeleteKalau kita lihat pun pembangkang hanya mula aktif bila dekat PRU saja.
ReplyDeleteTapi sebelum kemana mereka pergi. Kenapa baru sekarang muncul?
ReplyDeleteNampak bukan yang mana pembangkang semakin terdesak sehingga memfitnah yang bukan-bukan kepada kerajaan BN.
ReplyDeleteKalau benar itu janji manis cuba lihat sendiri bukti yang kerajaan BN lakukan.
ReplyDeletePembangunan, bantuan dan sebagainya. Tapi cuba lihat pula janji Pakatan di Selangor? Mana manifesto mereka pada PRU12. Tinggal kenangan sahaja kepada rakyat.
ReplyDeleteInikah yang kita boleh katakan sebagai menunaikan janji manis pembangkang. Masalah ditempat sendiri pun tidak selesai ini pula mahu mengatakan yang bukan-bukan kepada BN.
ReplyDeleteSebaiknya lihat sendiri bukti yang telah dilaksanakan oleh BN yang mana semua itu bukannya janji bintang bulan seperti Pembangkang.
ReplyDeleteTapi lihat saja apa yang pembangkang katakan kepada BN yang mana mengatakan BN tidak tahu buat kerja, hanya tahu buat janji-janji tidak tertunai dan sebagainya. Tapi lihat bukti sudah ada.
ReplyDeleteBN mampu memberikan yang terbaik kepada rakyat yang mana kerajaan BN adalah kerajaan yang dipilih yang mampu membela nasib rakyat.
ReplyDeleteSTAR rasanya tahu yang mana pembangkang di Negeri Sabah semakin bermasalah termasuk STAR sendiri.
ReplyDeleteNamun STAR hanya cuba menutup semua kelemahan dengan mengatakan yang bukan-bukan kepada kerajaan BN. Tapi pada masa yang sama, pengurusan parit STAR masih membinggungkan parti itu.
ReplyDeleteBagaimana STAR mahu memerintah sedangkan tidak ada pengalaman pun dalam kerajaan. Jeffrey pun Raja Katak ini tidak ada apa-apa keistimewaan.
ReplyDeletePercaya atau tidak, jika JK kalah lagi pada pRU ini, pasti beliau lompat Parti lagi.
DeleteLihat saja apa sudah jadi dengan diri Jeffrey. Lompat sana sini akhir terpaksa tubuh parti sendiri.
ReplyDeleteMaka fikirkan juga terlebih dahulu sebelum mempercayai apa yang dikatakan oleh pihak pembangkang. Kerana mereka sendiri pun sedang menghadapi masalah yang besar untuk menarik sokongan. Sampai sekarang ini sanggup memberikan fitnah untuk memburuk-burukan kerajaan BN.
ReplyDeleteSambutan luar biasa yang diberikan rakyat negeri ini terhadap Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak ketika melakukan lawatan ke Beaufort, Papar dan Tuaran pada Khamis lepas membuktikan bahawa rakyat menyayangi kepimpinannya.
ReplyDeleteKetua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman, berkata Perdana Menteri adalah seorang pemimpin yang baik hati dan sentiasa memikirkan kepentingan rakyat pelbagai kaum maka sebab itu rakyat tidak mahu melepaskan peluang untuk berjumpa dengan beliau.
ReplyDelete"Ia menunjukkan sokongan padu rakyat terhadap Perdana Menteri semakin bertambah berikutan sikap kepimpinannya yang sentiasa prihatin dan memenuhi citarasa masyarakat iaitu selari dengan Konsep 1Malaysia yang beliau perkenalkan itu.
ReplyDeleteKerajaan Negeri amat berterima kasih dan bersyukur dengan sokongan memberangsangkan rakyat negeri ini terhadap beliau yang juga turut menunjukkan sokongan kepada kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN).
ReplyDeleteMusa mengingatkan rakyat terus memberikan sokongan padu kepada kerajaan BN demi kesinambungan pembangunan.
ReplyDeletePembangunan di beri kan oleh kerajaan BN amat di hargai rakyat.
Deletenegeri ini akan jauh lebih membangun dari segala aspek pembangunan di bawah pentadbiran kerajaan BN yang telah terbukti mampu mengotakan apa jua janji-janjinya.
ReplyDeletepembangkang hanya tahu menabur janji manis semata-mata untuk meraih sokongan politik dan berbanding dengan kerajaan BN yang sentiasa berusaha dan bekerja keras demi kepentingan rakyat jelata.
ReplyDeletekita mesti pertahankan kerajaan BN yang prihatin kepada rakyat... macam-macam bantuan dan inisiatif yang telah diberikan seperti BR1M dan banyak lagi membuktikan bahawa kerajaan hari ini adalah yang terbaik dan perlu terus kekal.
ReplyDeleteBN tidak hanya bercakap kosong, janji di beri, pasti di tunaikan.
ReplyDelete