Sabah remains the poorest in the world

Why Sabah BN government want to apologise?
It gave away its revenues to the Federal government while getting much
less in return, contrary to the Malaysia agreement.

After all, violating the Malaysian Agreement has been the routine
practise for the BN government.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/12870-humiliated-sabah-govt-slams-poverty-report

Humiliated Sabah govt slams 'poverty' report
Mon, 15 Nove 2010 13:23
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By Michael Kaung

KOTA KINABALU: An embarrased 16-year-old Barisan Nasional administered
Sabah state government is furious at the recent World Bank report
which placed Sabah as the poorest state in Malaysia.

Lashing out at 'the facts', the Sabah Chief Minister's Department
(CMD) said that the World Bank's 2010 Malaysia Economic Monitor (MEM)
Report was grossly 'misinterepreted' and the content sensationalised.

The State Ecnomic Planning Unit (EPU) in a statement said its was
'disappointed' that the 'fact on poverty in Sabah was twisted.'

Said EPU director Ismail Abdullah: "It is a gross misinterpretation …

"The EPU, as the state's central planning agency, is disappointed
because the fact on poverty in Sabah was twisted and used to downgrade
the state government's image even though the state administration
under the leadership of Chief Minister Musa Aman is really committed

to developing Sabah and reducing poverty incidence," he said.

Ismail highlighted the fact that the MEM report also mentioned the
significant decrease in the incidence of poverty in Sabah between
1976-2004.

He said his boss, Musa, 'was in control' when the Statistics
Department figures showed that the incidence of household poverty had
gone down from 24.2% in 2004 to 16.4% in 2007.

Ismail also blamed the financial crisis of 2008/2009 and the increase
in the price of many essential items due to the reduction of fuel
subsidies, for the continued high incidence of household poverty.

He said the mean monthly gross income of Sabahans had infact increased
from RM2,593 in 2004 to RM3,102 in 2009 or 5.3% annually during the
period while the number of Sabahans enjoying an income of between
RM1,000 and RM1,999 had increased substantially by 2009.

Ending poverty

Ismail also drew attention to Tawau district, on the east coast of the
state, which was recently declared poverty free by Musa.

He said the state government has targetted the elimination of hardcore
poverty by the end of this year.

Ismail backed his argument by citing figures published in the CIA
World Fact Book which stated that in 2004, 12% of the population of
the United States and 14% of that in the United Kingdom lived below
their respective poverty line and thus were classified as poor.

"Do these (figures) make United Kingdom and United States poor
countries or poorest amongst the developed countries which perform
better than them?" he asked.

The World Bank report released last week painted a different picture
of the state from the cheery outlook of the EPU boss.

The report quoted the bank's East Asia and Pacific Region Human
Development Sector director Emmmanuel Jimenez as saying that there
were "deep pockets of poverty here in Sabah."

Jimenez who was in Kota Kinabalu to present the report last Wednesday
had also reportedly said:"Sabah has about 10% of the Malaysian
population but more than 40% of all poor people in Malaysia live in
Sabah."

The report however noted that when comparing the figure to that of
Selangor, which has about 25% of the population, the percentage of
poor people was less than 10%.

"Whatever poor people remaining in Malaysia, many of them are here in
Sabah and most of them live in the rural areas … groups such as the
Rungus, Suluk and Orang Sungai … according to the statistics … they
remain very high," Jumenez told reporters present.

"I would imagine that once you move away from the coastal areas to the
interior, the poverty rates remain very high," he added.

Jimenez also noted that what most people arriving in the state capital
or other towns in the state noted immediately was its apparent wealthy
state. But this, he hinted, was a mere sheen.

"Just from our own experience coming from the airport to the hotel,
you don't see poverty but the statistics say there's a lot and there
are huge disparities."

Low salaries

He also pointed out Malaysia's vision of a prosperous country through
productivity could be affected because workers are paid poor salaries.

"Those who are working maybe poor not because they are not working
(hard) but working in low-paying jobs. So the question is how to
increase productivity?" he asked.

The World Bank report recommended a three-pronged approach to raising
the living standards of the people living under grinding poverty in
the state.

It stressed that the government must strengthen the investment climate
and revitalise the labour markets; promote investment in human capital
by improving education and provide well-targetted social protection to
help those who cannot help themselves.

World bank states that Sabah is the poorest State in Malaysia

Certainly not Kelantan as stated by BN government since 1996 when I
visited Kelantan.
I beg to differ even in those days. Now not only UNHDP stated it in
2006, the situation remains the same in 2010, as verified by the World
Bank, another independent world body.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/13068--kit-siang-wants-royal-inquiry-on-sabah-poverty

Kit Siang wants royal inquiry on Sabah poverty
Sat, 20 Nove 2010 10:03
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By Queville To

KOTA KINABALU: DAP is calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to
investigate how Sabah, which was once a rich state, had crashed to a
point that it was now the "poorest" in Malaysia and is "likely to stay
that way for a considerable length of time".

In making the call, party adviser Lim Kit Siang also asked how the
government had allowed the state to become the poorest in the country
if there was "inclusive growth".

Lim was commenting on a World Bank Report last week which noted that
40% of Malaysia's poor were centred in Sabah, making it the poorest
state in the country.

The embarrassing disclosure has since sent state officials helter-
skelter looking for arguments to counter the report, which has
triggered an uproar against the state government.

Lim said the exhaustive report has exposed the lie that there was
"inclusive growth" in the country.

"Sabah should not have become the poorest state… it was once one of
the richest states before entering into Malaya, together with Sarawak,
to form Malaysia, 47 years ago.

"As emphasised in the official report, 'inclusive growth', means
benefiting every Sabahan and Malaysian and not just a handful of
people. It has been the key objective of the government of Malaysia
since Independence.

"This (report) is an indictment of the government that after 47 years
it has failed to fulfil its promises to the people of Sabah," he told
reporters here yesterday.

Eradication on wrong track

Lim said it was alarming that the World Bank's Human Development
Sector had found that "Sabah is not only the poorest state in
Malaysia, but is likely to stay that way for a considerable length of
time given current efforts on poverty eradication".

"This means that Sabah will not only be the poorest state in Malaysia
but will continue to be the poorest unless there is a total change in
policy," he said, adding that the economic plan in Sabah was neither
balanced nor fair nor equitable nor sustainable for all Sabahans.

Lim said that though the government might have tried for years to
eradicate poverty, it was obviously on the wrong track as the report
showed that Sabahans would continue to struggle to make ends meet,
especially those living in the rural areas.

He said that a Royal Commission of Inquiry should be formed to further
probe on whether the guarantees given to Sabah and Sarawak in 1963
when they agreed to establish Malaysia had been fulfilled.

"Both Sabah and Sarawak could be as developed as Peninsular Malaysia.
That was what they had hoped but it is clear now that the hope has not
been fulfilled."

Lim said that since DAP alone could not force the setting up of such a
commission, it is urging all Sabah BN Members of Parliament to give
their full support to determine why Sabah has remained in the
backwaters.

Also present at the press conference yesterday were Sabah DAP chairman-
cum-Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu, Sri Tanjung assemblyman Jimmy
Wong and DAP national publicity assistant secretary Teo Nie Ching.

Malaysia Agreement is already Null and Void

It has just occurred to me that the Malaysia Agreement is already Null
and Void. No need to wait for the agreements to be fulfilled and no
way to rectify it. Can you refurbish a Null and Void agreement? You
can't.

What is missed is the statement in the Borneonisation. The words is
"when Sabahans are qualified".
How can SAbahans not qualified to lead their departments after more
than 10 years? Ridiculous, isn't it.

Let alone 47 years. Borneonisation should have been carried out within
10 years. More than than is just unreasonable. It this failed to be
carried out, then the Agreement is null and void. Even though, Malaya
were to honour the agreement by making all Federal Posts be given to
Sabahans, now, the agreement remains Null and Void.

So there is no point in putting the no cessation clause. Since there
is not Malaysia Agreement, Sabah can demand to be independent any time
now, despite all attempts to fulfill in full the rest of the
agreements.
One option is to renegotiate a new Agreement but Agreement between a
subjugated member will never invalidate the agreement before Sabah was
colonised by Malaya.

One of these days, a few disgruntled groups from SAbah will bring this
Malaysia Agreement to the world court and declare Sabah independent,
like Kosovo. You can imagine what the decision that the World Court
will take. Enforcing it is another matter but it won't be peaceful
until Sabah is devoid of all resources. Even Sabahans will be kicked
out sooner or later.

What is so important about Borneonisation? All the problems that Sabah
face are due to the non-compliance of this part of the Malaysia
Agreement. The corruption, illegal immigrants, destruction of fishing
by bombings, crimes, drugs, gambling, human trafficking are due to
enforcement departments that are not headed by SAbahans, but by
Malayans who never consider Sabah as Malaysia.

Why should they care about Sabah? It is not even considered as their
country. The destruction of SAbah is not the destruction of Malaysia
so corruption, denudation and other social ills are small prices for
these officers' prosperity in their true county, i.e. Malaya aka
Malaysia.

I stand with the view that humans are different from animals because
of their honour. Those who do not honour agreements are not humans but
animals. And you know how animals behave. They have no regard for
human lives. In fact many Sabahans were already victims, directly or
indirectly. Honestly, I am talking about being killed.

About Sabahans killing Malayans? Never hear even a word, but
Sarawakians, yes. No wonder Sarawak is more advanced than Sabah.

Will Sabahans ever fight back? Never. They won't even fight back
politically. But beware, true SAbahans are getting less and less. Too
many immigrants. Malayans will reap what they sow. They already get
this experience right at their backyards. After all, despite what
Malayans like to think, Sabah is still Malaysia.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-saraw...

Time KL honoured 20-Point Agreement, says BN senator
Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:43
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By Michael Kaung

KOTA KINABALU: Three days ahead of the 47th anniversary of the
formation of Malaysia, a Sabah Barisan Nasional party has again urged
the federal government to honour its 20-Point Agreement with the
state.

The United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation (Upko) warned
that failure to stick to the agreement would prolong the friction
between the federal government and the people.

“For as long as the federal government remains in a state of denial,
the friction will continue,” Upko vice-president Senator Maijol Mahap
said here yesterday.

"After 47 years of being part of Malaysia, Sabahans have not made any
unnecessary demands such as wanting a local to be the Yang diPertuan
Agong or the Timbalan because this was not included in the agreement,"
he said.

"If Sabahans continue to be denied (the rights guaranteed by the 20
points), then how can the 1Malaysia concept of 'people first,
performance now', be achieved as the definition of the concept is to
ensure that all Malaysians are provided with opportunities
irrespective of region or state?" he said.

"In the context of Sabah, the rights of the people are contained in
the 20-Point Agreement, which were agreed on before the formation of
Malaysia," Maijol said.

He added that "if the decision-makers do not understand or purposely
deny the contents of the agreement, then this issue will continue to
be a source of conflict every time it is raised".He said the federal
government should by now understand why people in Sabah keep demanding
that Sabahans head its departments in the state.

The bitter pill for most Sabahans, he said, is that despite the 20-
Point Agreement clearly stating that the “Borneonisation” of federal
departments and agencies in Sabah should be done as soon as possible,
it had become a broken promise.

Maijol said the wording of the agreement clearly indicated that
Sabahans should be appointed to the posts as soon as they were
qualified and not when a post became available.

"Sadly, when that happens, an officer from Peninsular Malaysia,
despite having served only a few months, will be transferred to Sabah
to head the agency or department.”

He said such officers were unsuitable as they lacked an understanding
of the conditions and feelings of the people to plan and implement
government policies. As such, their tenure in the state was a waste of
time.

He said Sabah has a different set of values from the peninsula, adding
that civil servants there were bound to make mistakes.

Maijol said the “Borneonisation” policy was a case of common sense as
qualified Sabahans would be able to make an impact on the lives of the
people.

The Sabahan civil servants would be familiar with the local situation
unlike officers who were transferred from other places.

Maijol said the usual excuse that local officers were still
inexperienced compared to their counterparts from Peninsular Malaysia
was no longer acceptable.

The 20-Point Agreement relates to:

Point 1: Religion

Point 2: Language

Point 3: Constitution

Point 4: Head of federation

Point 5: Name of federation

Point 6: Immigration

Point 7: Right of secession

Point 8: Borneanisation

Point 9: British officers

Point 10: Citizenship

Point 11: Tariffs and finance

Point 12: Special position of indigenous races

Point 13: State government

Point 14: Transitional period

Point 15: Education

Point 16: Constitutional safeguards

Point 17: Representation in federal parliament

Point 18: Name of head of state

Point 19: Name of state

Point 20: Land, forests, local government, etc.

Sabah's Remarkble Transformation Through Malaysia

BERNAMA is a government mouthpiece. It tends to exaggerate the
achievements of the current BN government especially UMNO.

Statistics don't lie. Our salaries had not increased as much as our
neighbours especially Brunei and Indonesia. In fact, it had decreased
in many areas, taking into account the value of our currency.

In fact Brunei and Singapore never devalue their currencies like
Malaysia, while keep on increasing salaries, whereas in Sabah,
suppression of salaries and devaluations of currencies had made the
income of Sabahans to be 5 times less than Brunei. Indonesia salaries
had increased 300% in the last few years.

The facts are very clear, by 2006 Sabah has among the highest
incidence of poverty in the whole world. Sabah also has the highest
human trafficking cases in the whole world. All this accelerated
during the UMNO rule of Sabah, since 1994.

It is true that Sabah has improved, but at a much slower rate than
other regions included what used to be poor, such as Acheh, Rwanda,
Myanmar, Somalia, Darfur. As a result these regions had improved so
much while Sabah had not. The reason is vey clear.

The policy of the Federal government as state in the Newspaper article
by Taib Mahmud is very clear. Sabah and Sarawak had never been given
any priority in development because it is not cost effective. If this
is not very clear enough, there is now NO SPECIALIST HOSPITAL AT ALL,
in Sabah. Under PBS, the opposition, at least we had SMC, Sabah
Medical Centre. Even medical statistics is very sadly putting Sabah
among the poorest in the whole world. Even in Malaysia Sabah is far
far behing. No wonder, when it is the worst in the whole world.

If the Coal power plant were built, destroying our tourism industry
due to the destruction the environment, the contruction of the gas
pipelines across Sipitang, destroying livelihood of fishermen and tour
operators, while getting nothing for the gas itself, the FUTURE is
very DARK.

After all, it is very clearly stated in all government statements and
budgets. Sabah is not worth developing fast because it is never
economical, but its resources are worth sending to Malaya for free
despite the huge transportation and environmental costs, despite the
dire needs for Sabah. Sabah cannot even use the gas for themselves.
They had to import COAL at heavily subsidised prices.

Sabah's Remarkble Transformation Through Malaysia

By Emin Madi

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- When Donald Stephens, dressed in a
Kadazandusun traditional attire, read the proclamation of the
Federation of Malaysia on 16 Sept 1963, it was a highly meaningful and
exciting moment for the thousands of people at the Jesselton Town
Field.

Abdul Rahim Ismail was a form one student at Sabah College when he
witnessed the important event that not only marked the inauguration of
a new nation called Malaysia but officially confirmed Sabah's
participation in the federation.

"Although I knew what was going on but at that particular moment I did
not think much of the event's significance to my state as well as my
future," said Abdul Rahim.

The historical event at the town field now known as Padang Merdeka was
held in the presence of Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the deputy prime
minister then.

After the proclamation was read, (Tun) Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun
was sworn in as Head of State and Donald Stephen (later to be known as
Tun Fuad Donald Stephen) as the Chief Minister of Sabah.

Looking back, Abdul Rahim, now a Datuk and a former state minister,
said being the son of a poor fisherman, there was nothing much to look
forward in life and he was unsure of his future.

"But independence has indeed brought new hope to the people of Sabah,
especially the poor like me.

"I am proud to say that what I have achieved today was the result of
Sabah's independence through Malaysia," said Abdul Rahim, who hails
from Kampung Buang Sayang, Papar.

TRANSFORMATION OF SABAH

Abdul Rahim who is currently the Chairman of the Fisheries Development
Authority (LKIM) pointed out that Sabah has undergone tremendous
transformation in terms of physical infrastructure and socio-economic
development since joining the federation.

"But the real transformation as far as Sabah is concerned is
undoubtedly after the Barisan Nasional (BN) took charge of the state,
where the Federal-State government working relationship improved
tremendously," he said.

"While Malaysians truly benefited from their new found freedom, some
countries were unfortunate because they were still troubled by
internal conflicts that led to bloodshed and civil wars even after
independence.

"I think we should never forget to tell our children and future
generation on the importance of appreciating our country's
independence," he said.

In echoing Abdul Rahim's views, Zaiton OKK Anik agreed that since
gaining independence through Malaysia 47 years ago Sabah has
practically transformed from an economic backwater into a vibrant,
united and progressive state.

"Now people can move freely and conveniently from one place to another
because of the availability of good road network throughout the state.

"You will also notice that even some remote areas in Sabah are now
provided with electricity, water supply, clinics and schools," the 59-
year former teacher said.

Zaiton, who attended secondary school in Keningau, said she was
particularly proud of Sabah's transformation in the field of
education, especially with the mushrooming of public and private
institutions of higher learning in the state.

"30 years ago or so, it was very costly for Sabahans to pursue studies
at universities in Peninsular due to many factors, including distance,
cost of air flights and accommodation," says Zaiton.

"But Sabah students now have the opportunity to pursue their studies
at local universities without having to go overseas," she said

Zaiton also believes that Sabah's rapid socio-economic development
under Malaysia is due to the sound management of its vast resources by
past and present leaders, especially under the BN government.

"In short, Sabah through the goodwill of state and federal leaders has
indeed gained a lot in terms of socio-economic development since
gaining independence and the people now enjoying better standard of
living.

HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE

A young lawyer, Azman Ruslan, feels fortunate to learn of the
experiences of his parents who have lived during and after the
colonial era.

"It is even more fortunate for people of my generation because we have
everything on a silver platter as a result of the selfless struggles
of our past and present leaders.

"I therefore believe that we should not only play a role in
safeguarding the sovereignty of our nation but also teach the future
generation about the meaning and importance of independence," says
Azman, who was born in August, 1970.

Azman, who is also Sabah Umno Youth head, said it was therefore
imperative for the future generation to remember the history of our
country's independence as 'colonialisation' could repeat in different
perspective.

While appreciative of Sabah's tremendous socio-economic achievement
under Malaysia, Jasni Matlani, a writer and head of the Badan Bahasa
Sabah (BAHASA), believes the struggle must continue in safeguarding
our sovereignty.

"Therefore I suggest that any form of activities that involve youths
must include programmes that inculcate the history of our nation's
independence as well as paying tribute to those who struggled for
independence.

"We also urge the government to consider setting up a special
allocation for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially the
literary and cultural bodies, to conduct youth programmes that create
awareness," he said.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Apin, a quantity surveyor, says those who have
inherited the colonialists' era robust thinking must consider
themselves lucky.

"We find that life in the challenging 21st century actually calls for
the rigid and disciplined leadership of the colonial era," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Justifications against Coal Power Plant for Sabah

This is a well researched article giving the justifications why Coal
Power Plant is extremely destructive to Sabah.

It is not just bad, but very destructive. Nature, Ecotourism is all
that Sabah has after Oil and Gas revenue had been taken away from
Sabah. Now they even want to deny Gas and Oil for Sabah's own
consumption.

Preferring to import coal at huge costs and subsidies while spending
billions to build such an expensive Coal Power Plant. Gas power plant,
like that in Sepanggar bay is much cheaper, faster to build and easier
to power using Gas because Gas is already in Sabah, unlike Coal.

There is only one reason for the continuance of the Coal power plant.
To suck Sabah dry while ignoring the needs of Sabahans and its future.
It is a worst disaster than the loss of the Oil revenue and Labuan. At
these these losses do not affect our long term survival but Coal power
plant will destroy our future and quality of life.

http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0813-cynthia_ong_pm_letter.html

Malaysia preparing to take big step backward on energy policy
Commentary by Cynthia Clare Ong Gaik Suan
August 13, 2010

An open letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Dear Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak,

I write to you as a deeply concerned and saddened citizen of Malaysia.
For most of the 45 years of my life, I have been proud to be
Malaysian. Recently, I have become heartbroken to be Malaysian.

I am profoundly grateful to write this with the support of both my
local communities in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo and California, U.S.A.,
and a larger world community. That said, I take full ownership of and
sole responsibility for the views articulated in this letter; I
express them from my stand as a mother, an earth citizen and a leader.

I founded and lead a public charity and non profit organization both
in Malaysia and in the U.S., to bridge between worlds and build
partnerships for ecological conservation. I have been at the front
lines of the founding and mobilization of Green SURF (Sabah Unite to
RePower the Future), the civil society movement opposing the
construction of the 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu,
Sabah, on the edge of the Coral Triangle, one of three of the world's
most bio-diverse ecosystems. You know. You signed the 6-nation
declaration between Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New
Guinea, East Timor and Solomon Islands to collectively protect this
1.6 billion acres of ocean. You also know of course of your pledge at
Copenhagen to reduce carbon emission intensity by up to 40% by 2020.
You likely also know that the plant will displace fishing communities
who have been there for a long time - irreparably contaminating their
livelihoods forever. And if you listened, you would also know that
they do not want the "development" that your government is imposing on
them.

Tun Sakaran Marine Park , made up of pristine islands and marine
waters, lies off the coast of Semporna less than 100 kilometers from
the coal plant. Photo by: Yee I-Lann.

One of the priorities of Green SURF was to study clean energy
alternatives to the coal-plant, and propose them to the government. We
collectively invested tremendous time and resources to identify and
commission the expertise of Professor Daniel Kammen at Renewable and
Appropriate Energy Laboratory of University of California, Berkeley to
conduct the Clean Energy Options for Sabah report. We had no notion of
the outcome of the study, and results showed that Sabah is in an
exceptional position to shift towards clean energy due to the
availability of natural resources. We are in fact in an opportune
position to lead the nation and the region in clean energy - the kind
of leadership the world so urgently needs now. I wonder if you know
that Sabah is the last coal power-free frontier of Borneo. FYI, the 5
core NGOs in Green SURF are amongst the largest, oldest and most
recognized conservation groups in Sabah and Malaysia - collectively
responsible for most of the conservation work in the nation, with
partnerships that span the world.

We have tried every avenue available to communicate to you the results
of our findings and to engage in discussion about the future of energy
for Sabah. After months of unsuccessful attempts to meet with you, I
can only conclude that you do not want to meet with us. This confuses
and disturbs me. Your words in public are about listening to the
rakyat (people) and hearing their views. A sizeable portion of the
rakyat of Sabah has been doing everything within their power to be
heard by you. To no avail. We have given you the benefit of the doubt
that word is not getting to you, and yet we have met with those around
you who promised they would convey our message to you. Many months,
memos, reports, letters, faxes, emails and phone calls later, and we
have not received a single response from you or any member of your
administration. We also did our best at state level government, and
have huge support from within the government but ultimately the
message is that this is untouchable because "ini Najib mau" (Najib
wants this).

Sir, my most consistent experience of your administration is stone
walls, arrogance and insincerity. I am shocked by the behavior of the
leadership of my nation. I find it patronizing, archaic, oppressive,
blatantly and self-righteously elitist and top-down. I do not
experience your administration as democratic, transparent, open,
accountable or responsible. There is a deep incongruence between what
you are projecting externally and what we have experienced internally.
I can only surmise that you intentionally run your administration in
this manner. Otherwise, it would mean that your leadership is
incompetent and ineffective.

I am angry, and I am not willing to accept systemic disempowerment of
our people. I am writing this open letter as a last resort. Sabahans
are speaking up because we are deeply troubled and scared about the
fate of our ecological and cultural legacy, and what we will be able
to hand down to our future generations. Please show true leadership
and listen. You and your administration have much to do to regain a
modicum of respect amongst many Sabahans. If 1Malaysia is more than a
PR campaign and is truly intended "to provide a free and open forum to
discuss the things that matter deeply to us as a Nation", please walk
your talk.

The coal plant will be built on the northern edge of Lahad Datu Bay.
Photo by: Cede Prudente.

The circle denotes the coal plant. Tabin Wildlife Reserve is to the
west, Semporna (Tun Sakaran Marine Park) is to the south. Map courtesy
of Green SURF.

Map shows Sabah's place in the coral triangle. Map courtesy of Green
SURF.

Comments (1)

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Sabah in northern Borneo have run into stiff opposition.
Environmentalists say the coal plant could damage extensive coral reef
systems, pollute water supplies, open rainforests to mining, and
contribute to global climate change, undercutting Sabah's image as a
'green' destination. The federal government contends that the coal
plant is necessary to fix Sabah's energy problems. However, a recent
energy audit by the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL)
at the University of California Berkeley shows that pollution-
intensive coal doesn't have to be in Sabah's future.

Coal plant could damage rainforest reserves, coral reefs, palm oil
plantations in Malaysian Borneo

(12/20/2009) A proposed coal-fired power plant in Malaysian Borneo
could damage the region's world-renowned coral reefs, pollute air and
water supplies, open Sabah's biodiverse rainforests to mining, and
undermine the state's effort to promote itself as a destination for
"green" investment and ecotourism, warn environmentalists leading an
effort to block the project. The scheme, which is backed by the
federal Tenaga Nasional Berhad and state energy company, Sabah
Electricity Sdn. Bhd, has faced strong opposition and already been
forced to re-locate twice since it was conceived more than two years
ago. The 300-MW plant is now planned for a coastal area that is
situated in the middle of the Coral Triangle/Sulu Sulawesi Marine
Ecoregion, an area renowned for astounding levels of biodiversity.

Prime minister approves the application for 6,000 hectares of land by Ibans

If this is true, it shows also that Sarawak has lost control over
their own land. Land approval is supposed to be Sarawak matters, and
does not require any approval from the PM of Malaysia.

And only RM34 million for rural roads, to be spent 5 years later?
Too little and too late.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/131660

11.20am: Prime minister approves the application for 6,000 hectares
of land by Ibans for oil palm plantations, during his visit to a
longhouse, Rumah Sebastian Onggoh along Jalan Teku.

Najib Abdul Razak also announces that RM34 million will be set aside
under the 10th Malaysia Plan to upgrade the Pasai Siong road in Sibu's
rural district.

Kelantan is getting more prosperous under PAS compared to Sabah under BN

Just look at the passenger traffic at the various airports in
Malaysia.
While in BN controlled states, the number of passengers had gone down,
in Kelantan it has gone up.
Who says that Kelantan is backward under PAS?

http://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/index.php?ch=38&pg=157&ac=1026

Traffic
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Passengers
589,950
639,871
635,397
678,306
759,316
836,060
Cargo handled
(metric tonnes)
315
235
168
210
163
181
Cargo handled (KG)
694
518
370
462
163,433
181,327
Aircraft movements
10,010
11,869
11,194
38,352
58,996
57,102

Malaysia Airport Berhad,
Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra,
16100 Kota Bharu,
MALAYSIA.
Tel: +60 (0) 9 773 7400
Fax: +60 (0) 9 773 2852

Traffic
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Passengers
497,999
574,213
621,513
633,194
626,192
618,927
Cargo handled
(metric tonnes)
3,713
4,053
4,531
5,475
6,224
3,055
Cargo handled (KG)
8,185
8,935
9,989
12,070
6,224,488
3,054,589
Aircraft movements
10,588
10,823
11,662
10,776
8,410
9,622

Lapangan Terbang Sandakan,
Peti Surat 1719,
90719 Sandakan, SABAH,
MALAYSIA.
Tel: +60 (0) 89 660405
Fax: +60 (0) 89 668226

Traffic
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Passengers
1,377,312
1,509,684
1,594,855
1,559,379
1,454,167
1,537,840
Cargo handled
(metric tonnes)
3,881
4,721
5,392
4,080
3,564
4,146
Cargo handled (KG)
8,556
10,407
11,887
8,994
3,564,114
4,146,405
Aircraft movements
43,460
45,269
42,865
42,680
35,502
38,172

Lapangan Terbang Miri,
Peti Surat 851,
98008 Miri,
MALAYSIA.
Tel: +60 (0) 85 615205
Fax: +60 (0) 85 615208

Traffic
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Passengers
31,108
46,692
27,683
18,509
27,209
23,751
Cargo handled
(metric tonnes)
214
602
370
146
219
179
Cargo handled (KG)
471
1,327
815
321
219,348
178,618
Aircraft movements
57,636
70,369
77,504
74,880
64,936
60,512

Lapangan Terbang Batu Berendam,
75350 Melaka,
MALAYSIA.
Tel : +60 (0) 6 317 5860
Fax: +60 (0) 6 317 5214