| 30 July 2012 |
Jul 30: Oposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Sabah should be led by the right local leader to avoid its wealth being 'stolen' by Peninsular leaders.
GOODBYE BN ... Wilfred and Lajim
“You have the richest resources yet you are the poorest. Those from the Peninsular steal your timber, so too from Sabah. So please choose the right Sabahan to lead your state,” Anwar told an event to officially mark the defection of BN's Tuaran member of parliament Wilfred Bumburing to Pakatan Rakyat. Wilfred is the second MP to declare ending ties with BN after Lajim Ukin, UMNO’s Beaufort MP and supreme council member.
At the event, Wilfred, the deputy president of BN's United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation’s (UPKO), has launched a new political entity called Sabah Reform Front aligned to PR aiming to bring political change to the east Malaysian state.
Wilfred cited apathy on the part of prime minister Najib Razak’s administration over the influx of illegal immigrants to Sabah as being among reasons he ditched BN.
Addressing the event, Anwar urged Sabahans to stand up for their rights and not allow themselves treated as second-class citizens.
Citing the discrepancies of the minimum wage policy introduced by the BN federal government, where Sabah and Sarawak floor rate was fixed RM100 lower than West Malaysia's at RM800 or RM3.85 an hour, Anwar said Sabahans must now embrace PR for a better future.
“Under PR, everyone gets RM1,100 [minimum wage],” he added.The PKR de facto leader also reiterated the coalition’s pledge of restoring the 20 percent oil royalty to all oil-producing states.
With good governance, Anwar (left) said some RM20 billion could be saved annually after plugging leakages and corruption in the administration.
Anwar again pledged to bring down petrol prices within 24 hours of PR's Federal power, while promising to solve the problem of illegal immigrants who have increased by 390 percent, alongside statistics in neighbouring Sarawak which saw 146 percent increase of illegal immigrants.
Najib had earlier announced a royal commission to probe the problem, but Wilfred lamented that nothing had been done so far.
Sabah has often been described as BN's 'fixed deposit' when it comes to votes following loss of support among Peninsular voters.
Meanwhile, Lajim, who is also deputy Housing and Local Government minister, told supporters at a gathering in his constituency last night that his cabinet status as well as position in UMNO's supreme council were now up to Najib.
“I don’t care being sacked,” said Lajim, at the event where Anwar also attended.
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