KOTA KINABALU: Likas Assemblyman Tham Yun Fook questioned Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam’s proposal to borrow funds from the Federal Government to improve Sabah’s water pipeline and sewerage systems during a recent visit to Banggi, Kudat.
According to him, the proposal raises serious questions as to why Sabah should continue borrowing when the state’s own rights, including the 40% net revenue entitlement, have yet to be fully paid by the Federal Government.
He said he was puzzled as to why the state government appeared so willing to talk about borrowing from the Federal Government while at the same time failing to firmly demand Sabah’s rights.
Tham said, as he had raised during the recent Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting, Sabah’s water pipeline and sewerage systems are now in an alarming condition due to years of poor planning and maintenance failures.
According to him, the people are suffering daily from water supply disruptions, low water pressure, burst pipes, and poor sewerage systems.He added that Sabah is also still facing problems with dilapidated schools lacking basic facilities, as well as increasingly frequent flash floods caused by poorly maintained drainage systems.
He said all these problems require substantial funding to be resolved comprehensively.
However, he questioned why Sabah should borrow from the Federal Government when the federal authorities themselves have yet to fulfil Sabah’s rights, including the 40% net revenue entitlement as stipulated under the Federal Constitution.
In this regard, he referred to the motion brought by Parti Warisan through the Kapayan Assemblyman calling on the Federal Government to immediately pay Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement for the period from 2022 to 2025 within 60 days, as the amount can be calculated clearly and transparently.
According to him, it was deeply disappointing that the motion was not debated at all in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.
Tham said that if Datuk Seri Dr Joachim, representing the state government, was truly serious about defending Sabah’s interests, he should instead urge the Prime Minister to settle Sabah’s outstanding rights first rather than proposing loans that would ultimately burden the people of Sabah.
He stressed that Sabah should not continue to be a state that only knows how to borrow but lacks the courage to firmly demand its own rights.
He also stressed that the state government must stop being overly submissive to the Federal Government because Sabah has dignity, rights, and a position that must be respected.
