What about Flood Aid for Sabahans? - Dr. Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU - “It must have been really disappointing for flood victims in Sabah and Sarawak seeing the actions of the federal government in dishing out aid after aid for the flood victims in the Peninsula” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief in querying further about federal flood aid for Sabah and Sarawak flood victims and the hand delivery of RM9.6 million of federal aid by Najib himself together with television sets and other items in Kemamam with another RM10 million aid to be from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry.

It is not that Sabahans and Sarawakians are begrudging the granting of aid from the federal government to the victims in the Peninsula.  It is about the treatment of Sabah and Sarawak flood victims by the federal government.

The flood aid is even hand-delivered by the PM himself in Terengganu and Pahang and the aid included even television sets, refrigerators, pillows and mattresses and stoves amounting to RM5,000 per family.   Sabahans, unfortunately, will be getting nothing, not even a single sen, not even a single pillow.

While part of the RM10 million, about RM1.5 million is earmarked for losses suffered by victims in Sarawak, the mere fact that nothing is done to determine the Sarawakians’ losses involved re-affirms the lack of priority of the federal government towards Sabahans and Sarawkians.  Is it justified that only 15% of the aid is reserved for Sarawakians with Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan receiving 85%.

The federal government and leaders from the Peninsula always seem to conveniently forget that it was Sabah and Sarawak that formed Malaysia with Malaya.   There would be no Malaysia without Sabah and Sarawak.

More importantly, without the support from Sabah and Sarawak, the present federal government and their Ministers would be in the opposition and not in power as the federal government.

For the flood victims in the Peninsula, the federal agencies were mobilized in full force.  Where were they during the floods in Sabah?  The PM himself failed to visit the flood-hit areas in Sabah while he was in Kota Kinabalu attending a wedding reception.

“Why are the flood victims in Sabah and Sarawak not being given the federal flood aid of RM500.00 and why is Sabah left out of the RM10 million agricultural and livestock aid? queried Dr. Jeffrey.

Why are Sabahans not treated as equal Malaysians by the federal government?
Why is the federal government alienating Sabahans?
Is it because Sabahans are not Malays? asked Dr. Jeffrey.

Perhaps, it is time for the PM and the federal government to clear the air on federal flood aid for Sabahans before Sabahans are irked further by the federal government.