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Saturday, October 8, 2011

A few things missing in the budget



It is understandable that the BN leaders are voicing out all sorts of support for the just presented budget. But I feel there is a need for us to be reminded that there are quite a few things which should have been included for Sabah.

Sabah, as we all know, is saddled with a lot of problems, mainly illegals, energy supply, crimes, and poverty. The budget concentrated too much on giving away goodies. But the first thing that needs to be done for Sabah is to introduce programs to jumpstart the sluggish economy.

The people in the villages and the interiors need to be given opportunities to participate in the economic process in more meaningful ways.

The only real blessing they have now is the high price of rubber which has given good incomes to many families. But these are limited only to those with rubber trees or those who could tap people’s rubber trees. Most of them do not enjoy this, and still have to subsist on farm produces which are hardly sufficient to keep them afloat.

The government needs to introduce small-scale cash-crop, fowl- or livestock-breeding programs in joint-ventures with various government agencies like the KPD and Mara. We have a severe food shortage problem in the state, with 70 percent dependence on imported food. The solution to this longstanding problem should be our first priority under every budget, state or federal. But why are the state and federal government always forgetting to address this part of the economy that has long become a burden? Why don’t we strategise to harness the energy of the native farmers to produce food in small scales? Why just focus on large-scale farming projects which takes a long time to bear fruits?

The promise to eradicate poverty is now an old story. And what the government has been doing is to give cash and help in kind to the villagers. We all know this doesn’t help much because handouts don’t last longer than a few days. What the poor villagers need are facilities to enable them to be productive and thus raise their income level. The government still has the “give fish” rather than the “teach them to fish” approach just because the former is easy to do and attracts more votes in the short term.

I also agree with SAPP that another huge problem that we need to solve is the energy problem. With the cancellation of the coal-fired power plant, an immediate alternative, e.g. gas-powered power plants, should have been proposed and funded for implementation. Also, the government has not answered the query about why our gas will be piped to Bintulu when we need the gas to generate energy in Sabah.

And why not also establish an R&D institute to research the possibilities for many alternative energy sources? Such alternatives have been researched in the west and many countries are already trying out new, green, and cost-saving energy alternatives. There is one country which is even implementing an underwater water current turbine power generating system, which is an alternative to the more conventional wind turbine system.

The allocation to build contraptions to collect rain water in the interiors is a good one and is long overdue. But it shouldn’t be just another form of the gravity water supply system that become useless during the dry seasons. It should be a system that collects enough water to last until the dry seasons are over, or else it will be meaningless. Sabah has an abundant rain water, and one rainy season can supply water for the whole of Sabah for many years if we had enough determination to build many small collection reservoirs (not dams).

As I see it, the budget didn’t address the biggest problems facing Sabah, and the many goodies seem short-term and temporary. The budget didn’t help much to lighten the nation’s burdens, especially with the economy and national debt which has been increasing.

DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN

42 comments:

  1. Those factors should also be taken into consideration by the government.

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  2. No matter what, those promises made in the 2012 budget must be fulfilled.

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  3. Too many suggestion, don't know the government still can consider it or not, but i think may be next budget.

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  4. Hopefully the current budget, will make a positive changes to all Malaysian.

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  5. It is the intention of the Federal Govt in its annual national budget in the past decades, to sideline Sabah cancerous issues as they treat these as local issues which the State has to deal with.Priority is given to develop west malaysia & not so much on east malaysia. It is only for Sabahans to deal with all cancerous problems such as PATI, education...although these are created by the failure of Federal Govt in implementing economic policies (cabotage..) that are to the disadvantage of Sabah. Depending on the present state govt is futile cos they don't have the resources & they have other self-agendas to carry out first.

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  6. mmg ada beberapa perkara tak dimasukkan dalam bajet, harap ia akan diberi perhatian.

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  7. apapun, bajet kali ini agak baik dan semoga ia dilaksanakan dgn baik.

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  8. harap perlaksanaan bajet yang telah dibentangkan dapat dilakukan dengan sebaiknya.

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  9. perlu dipastikan juga bajet kali ini dapat membantu membangunkan lagi golongan rakyat.

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  10. Bila kita pernah dengar kaki pengampu umno kata budget umno tidak baik?

    Tidak mustahil jika umno suruh mereka makan tahi, mereka pun kata sedap sebab mahu jaga nasi periuk mereka.

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  11. perwakilan dari Sabah diperlukan dalam proses membuat keputusan mengenai bajet jika ingin menyuarakan sesuatu untuk Sabah.

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  12. Dah kena umum baru bising, apa cerita??? uhuhhu

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  13. Tak dinafikan ada kelemahan tapi kita harapkan sajalah bajet yang diumumkan dapat berjalan lancar:)

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  14. Paling penting bajet 2012 direalisasikan. Jangan pula nanti sudahlah ada kelemahan ditambah lagi dengan pelaksanaan yang hangat-hangat tahi ayam, konpom masalah lain akan timbul.

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  15. Namun ada juga baiknya jika hal yang diutarakan ini diberi perhatian. Kalaupun tak dapat dimasukan ke dalam bajet since bajet 2012 dah kena bentang mungkin alternatif lain patut dibuat untuk memperbaiki kelemahan itu.

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  16. Apapun, harap kerajaan pastikan bajet 2012 terlaksana dengan sempurna. sekurang-kurangnya reda juga isu kekurangan ni.

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  17. Biasalah bila bajet dibentang, ada yang bersetuju dan ada juga yang tidak. Jika ada cadangan2 yang membina untuk memperbaiki mana2 kelemahan, ianya adalah dialu-alukan demi kebaikan bersama. Dan diharap pihak berwajib juga dapat beri perhatian kepada luahan rakyat.

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  18. Walaupun tidak termasuk dalam bajet, sekurang-kurangnya kerajaan harus ada usaha untuk mengatasi masalah2 serius yang melanda Sabah.

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  19. bajet suda dibentang... harap bajet ini dapat dilaksanakan dengan sempurna oleh kerajaan.. berpuas hati sbb kepentingan rakyat diutamakan..

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  20. "Why don’t we strategise to harness the energy of the native farmers to produce food in small scales? Why just focus on large-scale farming projects which takes a long time to bear fruits?"

    Cadangan yang baik juga agar pekebun kecil ini dapat membekal mengikut keperluan domestic dan golongan ini berpeluang membaiki taraf hidup masing-masing.

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  21. Bukan senang bujet untuk memenuhi semua golongan, tetapi ada juga golongan yang mendapat manfaat secara langsungnya. Semoga masalah di Sabah dapat diperbaiki dan pembangunan akan diteruskan walaupun tiada dalam bujet 2012.

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  22. Semoga bujet ini dapat ditunaikan agar masyarakat tidak kecewa dengan janji manis tersebut. Tertanya juga adakah bujet tahun ini membebankan kerajaan sebab banyak kenaikan gaji dan cash yang diperuntuk untuk rakyat?

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  23. "What the poor villagers need are facilities to enable them to be productive and thus raise their income level. The government still has the “give fish” rather than the “teach them to fish” approach just because the former is easy to do and attracts more votes in the short term."

    Memang setuju dengan beliau, bantuan dari segi kewangan adalah cara yang kurang bijak sebenarnya. Lebih baik jika kerajaan membaiki kelemahan infra dan fasiliti agar golongan ini membaiki produktif yang berkemampuan meningkatkan jumlah pendapatan masing-masing.

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  24. "And why not also establish an R&D institute to research the possibilities for many alternative energy sources? Such alternatives have been researched in the west and many countries are already trying out new, green, and cost-saving energy alternatives."

    Proposal menubuhkan R&D adalah amat penting dan seharus dikaji dan dirancang untuk dilaksanakan. Untuk jangka masa panjang, ini adalah "trend" yang akan kami menuju.

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  25. the govt can do it by separate allocations. its not necessarily to be included in the 2012 budget.

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  26. "The budget concentrated too much on giving away goodies. But the first thing that needs to be done for Sabah is to introduce programs to jumpstart the sluggish economy."

    He said something truth also, the budget giving away goodies. Most govern servant gain benefits for such budget. We urge that the government will still put more effort to continue development and on-going project in Sabah. With only such that will benefit the people in Sabah.

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  27. Peruntukan kewangan seharus dihadkan agar rakyat tidak teramat gantung kepada kerajaan. Yang penting, menjalankan projek dan kempen pembangunan yang betul-betul memanfaatkan semua golongan.

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  28. "And what the government has been doing is to give cash and help in kind to the villagers. We all know this doesn’t help much because handouts don’t last longer than a few days. What the poor villagers need are facilities to enable them to be productive and thus raise their income level."

    Saya memang setuju dengan katanya, kerajaan seharus memberi bantuan dari segi teknologi dan kelengkapan yang dapat meningkatkan produktiviti and pendapatan. Bantuan cash sebegini akan menyebabkan lebih ramai rakyat bergantung sepenuh kepada kerajaan.

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  29. Allocation of fund for long term projects and programs are needed in Sabah. Such allocation can encourage continuous income and resolve poverty.

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  30. Not easy to please everybody needs and wants. Hoping government will continue and to fix the missing parts. Im sure all Sabah people needs will come one after one.

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  31. Indeed a few things.

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  32. Kan bagus kalau bukan setakat kerja kerajaan je yang naik gaji semua.

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  33. memang bukan senang hendak memenuhi kehendak semua org..pa yg penting kita tidak di pinggirkan..keperluan rakyat diutamakan..

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  34. Please put more effort in Sabah.

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  35. Takut kalau2 Sabah ini hanya dianaktirikan.

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  36. Yes, we can have more improvements to the budget.

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  37. I know our govt is doing their best in providing what's the best for us even though it might not sound perfect to everyone.

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  38. Just support them.

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  39. Tidak semestinya bajet ini tidak boleh ditambah baik lagi. Jadi apa yang ada mungkin untuk masa sekarang ada kemungkinan akan ada perkara lain akan dikemukakan kemudian.

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  40. kerajaan telah buat yg terbaik untuk kita...tidak dapatlah memuaskan hati semua orang, tapi yg penting harap bajet 2012 ini akan dapat dilaksanakn dengan baik.

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