BY PANGAIT
(For Rashid and Amde, these are two sides of the coins)
I recall in the early days, Datuk Halik Zaman campaigned for a seat in Tenom with salt and ikan masin. It had a desired effect. I can’t remember if he won but he got a reasonable count. Not an insult but that’s the commodity they most wanted and appreciated. It means one thing.
The rakyat don’t have that many opportunities then and today to better themselves despite the existence of Twin Tower and the Penang Bridge and the Malaysia Plans. But they also wanted to prove that the other candidate have totally been forgotten of what their basic needs are. They have minds of their own.
Now take a look and analyse a mega project that is very close to you, the upgrading of the State Railway since 2004. From the reports it was stated that the project costs is above RM 300 millions. Will the rakyat appreciate it when until now the track has remained like it was since 1950? What happened to the fund? Are the rakyats along the Padas Gorge getting any direct benefit? How many from here are employed in this project? The local daily had reported that the rakyat had to device a crude trolley to travel by paddling on the track as the project don’t seem to see any completion.
Life is still very hard to them when the promised uplifting of their economic life will be better with the improved railway. Unfortunately most of the fund have gone to the go between, the lobbyists, corrupts, suppliers, contractors and workers who are not from the gorge. What are they thinking now? Who belittle who?
The Padas Gorge commuters are seeing new stations with long platform as if there will be long trains coming, but they see is the same train that had hugged along since 1950 and they still remain poor. You think they never talk?
Very often we see project billboards that state “Projek ini adalah sumbangan Kerajaan Persekutuan” Do we owe ourselves to the Federal Government? Don’t we have our resources to look after ourselves? Doesn’t this billboard belittle our intelligent?
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Pix 1-6, read from top, left to right
1, the new station with long platform at Saliwangan.
2, track that has remained the same despite the on going project
3, depicts-about the billboard that portrays the Federal Government as our saviour.
4, old train that still runs today.
5, the crudely devised trolley for the kampung transport
6, the old horse in service
All pictures are by the courtesy of Pangait.Also published here
21 Comments
1 ongkor wrote:
oooi PENGAIT..I cant agree more. But why do the Sabahans deny the facts that the federal under umno/bn is insulting them?? I thought that sabahans were once most feared warriors plus the PENGAITS from sarawak??? come on sabahans, WAKE UP!!! LEST you are killed by pengaits from MALAYA. Tak sedar2 bah ni orang Sabah. Jilat pantat politicians saja dorang tau…very obvious during elction. bagi RM10 trus undi umno/bn. lepas election…komplain lagi…datang yb kasi Rm10, undi lagi….so this attitude will rolls on and on… PADAN MUKA KAMU KENA MAIN2 OLEH UMNO/BN
2 Gorshan wrote:
i used to recall 40 years back what a thrill it was as a child to have my first train ride from Beaufort to Jesselton(now KK). the early cool misty morning station was lively with foods sold in basket carried by vendors. now i drive by completely having ignored the track. a distance sad but nostalgic memory.
for the first time in 50 years Sabah and Sarawak are at a crossroad where divinity has showered its blessing for these two states to improve its sorry state of affairs but what do our MPs do? instead of taking the big stick and ramming it up Semenanjung’s ass, they chose to play it safe and are contented to be Semenanjung’s fixed deposit.
a bigger bunch of baruas such as these MPs i have never seen in my life.
3 Liberian wrote:
In 1969, I was a temporary teacher in St.Anthony’s Secondary School in Tenom. Sabah was a beautiful place to live. No racial or religious confilts. All were treated equal. The moment UMNO came in, they brought all thier corruptions, illegal muslim immigrants and Pakistanis becoming automatic citizens. The place was raped by extremist UMNO fanatics. Now it is rule by the most corrupted CM that Sabah ever had. Even Tun Mustapha can’t beat this MUSA.
4 C++ wrote:
Yup… Sabahan have the right to their own resources. The only block it has is their most corrupted politician… I myself have travel many time to Sabah.. mostly in Kudat and KK…
Sabahan need more progressive infrastructure to the sake of future of Sabah…
More highways plus frequent rail services is much needed..
5 Forex wrote:
My uncle just retired from Govt Service he said to me:
Last time before umno here, there was no word such rasuah, religion differences etc etc. After UMNO came in, everything change
6 Jan wrote:
You Sabahans are not alone, we also share the same sentiments as you about UMNO. We are already doing something about it in semenanjung, what about you people over in Sabah?
7 Eskay wrote:
We, in West Malaysia wanted political change and got it in 5 states in GE-12 (or 3-08) Political leaders are still working hard to change after 50+ years of continuous BN rule.
It wasn’t easy but bearing fruit.
Your chance for change is coming soon.
So, go for it. Make Sabah a better place. The power in in your vote.
8 arazak wrote:
Pangait,
The PM says Sabah is a “Fixed Deposit” for UMNO. Being a fixed deposit for UMNO you can expect they will milk the “interest and profit” while leaving the Sabahan high and dry!
The “ikan masin” given was just a token from UMNO for being a lucarative “fixed deposit”! By now Sabahan should have noticed that UMNO take more than they give!
9 Malaysian Sabahan wrote:
Sabahan Insulted by Ikan Masin? No way man, We Sabahan are not only ikan masin, we are infact the lowest fixed deposit it is just merely RM50. Just ask the kg peopleslah.how much they get during Election.Also ask our Muslim Voters, if they dont cast the votes to UMNO MASUK NERAKALAH.Believe me, the next election, all muslim constituency opposition will HILANG DEPOSIT.
10 Butod wrote:
We have ourselves to blame, no one else, we have voted for them, eventhough I did not but majority of us did. It falls on our shoulder to educate/inform our parents, peers, comrades, siblings and whoever within our circle to open their eyes to theses abuses that we have so long been enduring.
11 Concern Citizen wrote:
You bloggers and netizens should do like what they did in Semenanjung, post pictures of the lavish and corrupt lifestyle of your arrogant politicians.
Post pictures of the bungalows, palaces, their cars, their personal belongings and explain to the simple folk how it’s not possible to live that kind of rock and roll lifestyle on a minister pay. A picture paints a thousand words as they say!
12 topulalangoi wrote:
kuroyon podie oii pangaits. basug basug ngawi ilo YB YB tulun tokou baino. aiso komoyon…moi nogi patai.
13 Abajawi wrote:
We need a 2-party system, now more than before. Let PR be a tough contender to UMNO/BN. Then only will we eliminate the monopoly by UMNO/BN. Let’s go for oligopoly (duopoly, in the case of 2-party system). If we are fed up with one, we can chose the other in the following GE. Just like what the USA, UK, Australia, India etc are having. I see that the next GE will usher in PR with a thumping majority in PERAK. Let it be the same for the whole country. Sabah and S’wak people — you have a heavy duty to see that this also happens in the two Eastern States.
14 Rashid Awang wrote:
Tough and boastful words are nothing when the results of the next GE are announced for Barisan will win again with a thumping majority.Repent and return to UMNO and Barisan folds for its never late.Only they can guarantee our future and the future of our children.Pakatan are only good at winning battles but the war will be won by Barisan.
15 Greenbug wrote:
There is nothing to lose fellow Sabahans. If Pakatan don’t work for Sabah, just chuck them out the next round. All you need to do is give them a chance vs the Barisan which has brought no progress to Sabah but have squeezed the stae almost bankcrupt of its rich natural resources. Give Pakatan one chance, I am sure there is nothing to lose. Afterall, you will continue to lose under BN.
16 ramgold wrote:
For the rail track project and for that matter for all projects, the government fo the day should endeavour to explain in public the status for each projects. If there is a delay then it must be explained. There is nothing worst than keeping the rakyats guessing on the status of the matter. This is where SEDIA or IDS must keep a channel open to explain the status of each projects. I reckon a quarterly newsletter should be good enough to keep the people aware of the going ons in the SDC. Not all news gets covered on tv and radio and for that metter the newspapers. Newsletter must be made available right down to the JKKK. Information is vital so as to stop some quarters from making wild interpretations.
17 Tambuakar wrote:
Enough is enough.We have been independent for the past 45 years. Under UMNO/BN since 1994 but what happened to all parts of Sabah. All our mineral resources, timber, lands and so forth have been raped by the greedy UMNO/BN politicians.What left behind is worst then ikan masin. Almost every parts of Sabah are legging behind in development compared to Semananjung. Why? Because to UMNO/BN politicians, to hell with Sabahans and Sarawakians. Lets develop West Malaysia first and milk Sabahans and Sarawakians as a fixed deposit. So Sabahans and Sarawakians, lets show the people power because any political party that rule far TOO LONG is going to become a dictator. History has proof it.
18 Kenwang wrote:
Tambuakar should be careful with his accusations about UMNO/BN politicians on Sabah and Sarawak.Firstly many Sabahans are UMNO/BN members and many Sarawakians are BN members and supporters.Tambuakar is saying that to UMNO/BN politicians,to hell with Sabahans and Sarawakians.This is tantamount to saying that the UMNO/BN members in Sabah and Sarawak are traitors to their own State and people.Its not a nice word to use even if you are so much engulfed with hatred towards UMNO/BN politicians.If you are a politician then I regret to say you are a lousy politician.Sabah UMNO/BN never have the intention or inclination of selling their own people or Sabah for that matter.They love Sabah as much as you do.Heroism is not your monopoly for they belong to Sabah UMNO/BN politicians too.I suggest you take a cold shower before you intend to pour out your hatred towards them or even suspect their loyalty.There is a saying’Suspicions only haunt the guilty minds’.Beware and ask for redemptions from the Almighty.
19 Kenwang wrote:
I would like to add in what I had written previously regarding Tambuakar comments on UMNO/BN politicians.This is to remind him that we have 4 UMNO/BN politicians from Sabah who are full Ministers and one of them is a Foreign Minister which I think suffice to say of how committed the Federal Government is towards Sabah.If you are not proud of it as a Sabahan then you must be a PTI.
20 Pangait wrote:
Friends,
The truth hurts. There will never be anyone to take care of ourselves but us.
21 Nche Matahari wrote:
…as Pangait recently commented at Aki’s place…..
“”I gather, there are a lot of discrimination then and now. We have been independent for 46 years now and yet none of our leaders had done anything to narrow our differences.
It was because of these we lost grip of our state permanently and allowing “others”, non-Sabahan, to take control of our wealth and destiny. We got manipulated and now ‘imported’ citizen are used to maintain their power.
To all my fellow Sabahans, sum up the similarities,minus the differences, that will be our strength for our generations.”"
Dearest KenWang…this is not a matter of hatred towards UMNO/BN nor any politicians! This is a matter that goes back to the 60’s and right to the present day which along the way is seeing how Sabah’s rights as an equal state within the Malaysia federation got chipped and chipped by scrupulous and isdiscriminate politickings that let to us Sabahans robbed off our autonomous status as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement of 1963!
Now…I ask you…’was it 31st August 1957 or 16th September 1963?’ 1Malaysia…but which “1″…1957 or 1963…west or east Malaysia?