‘Rich’ Sabah and Sarawak are poor by design

According to a Sabah based NGO, the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak are kept poor for political reasons.

RANAU: The Sabah-based Common Interest Group Malaysia (CigMa) is of the opinion that Sabah and Sarawak have become the poorest states with the most hardcore people within Malaysia by design rather than default.

Said CigMa president Daniel John Jambun: “We are poor by design… There could be no other reason why we are reduced to be the poorest people in Malaysia while our states of Sabah and Sarawak are actually the richest in terms of natural resources including the oil and gas reserves that we have had.

Jambun made this startling remark while officiating a United Borneo Front function in Kampung Matupong here recently.

He claimed that certain group of people had willingly made East Malaysians very poor so that they are beholden to KL-based federal government which controlled almost every income derivable from all states in Malaysia including from supposedly-autonomous Sabah and Sarawak.

“When we are very poor, then it is so easy for them to control us and to manipulate us just like what is currently happening in Sarawak state election,” he said.

He blamed the people for not standing-up and being strong enough to defend their rights and ensure that their voices are heard.

Jambun said there was no reason for Sabahans and Sarawakians to be downtrodden. He said outsiders had ridden on the wealth of the states.

“Singapore has no oil and gas but its economy is bigger than Malaysia and its currency value is much higher than Malaysian ringgit.

“So is oil-rich Brunei though it is hardly an industrialised economy, still its currency value is much higher than ours, and its citizens have much much better and comfortable lifestyles than us in Sabah and Sarawak.

“This has happened because there is this perpetual evil design to make us poorest forever.

“No matter how many billions of rinngit the federal government poured in here, actually only a privileged few would really benefit and become rich and comfortable. The rest remain the poorest, without house, water, electricity, roads, schools and clinics.

“We must do something to change our situation,” he said.

Jambun also said that had Sabah and Sarawak been allowed to manage their own finances, as promised under Malaysia Agreement, the two could have been well on par, if not better, with Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and other opulent economies in the the region.