Harris on Oil Royalty

KOTA KINABALU (30 August 2008): Former Chief Minister Datuk Harris Salleh said the Sabah and Sarawak state legislative assemblies can move a motion demanding the Federal Government to increase the oil royalty.
However, he cautioned that in return, the Federal Government could also, if it wished, respond by reducing the budget allocation to offset the additional payment in oil royalty.

Speaking during the question and answer session after delivering a talk at the Convention of Sabah Issues organised by the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) at the Putera Theatre, Bukit Padang, Saturday, Harris also congratulated SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee for the brave move in calling for the no confidence vote against the Prime Minister.

"There must be reasons as to why SAPP is making the call," he said, adding that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should have allowed the motion to be debated.

To a question, Harris said he did not think that Sabah would be joining the opposition because it would be like "out of the frying pan into the fire".

Instead, he said what is important is for Umno to change, adding that when he was the Chief Minister heading the Berjaya Government ('1976-85), he was never accepted as a Malay by Umno.

He also said the "budaya cium tangan" (kissing-hand culture) has become embedded deeply in the BN. "So how can we win if 60 per cent are those cium tangan," he said.

Harris was also asked from the floor the reason he surrendered Labuan to the Federal Government. Using the father, son and grandfather terminology, Harris said a father (State Government) would not hesitate to give his son (Labuan) under the care of the Federal Government (grandfather).

He said the father was confident that the son would be taken good care because the grandfather has everything.

"But we never knew that the grandfather would give the son ikan masin (salted fish) and ask him to walk to school," he said.

In his talk, Harris said leaders of both the government as well as the opposition should have the courage to see and accept the very serious challenges that Malaysia is facing.

Among the challenges, he said was to erase the Suspicion and distrust among the races, be fully committed in uniting the races once and for all, eradicate money politics and change the autocratic and monopolistic system of the government and make it more open.

Another challenge, he said, was to tell the truth about the 20 Points instead of using it as an excuse that Sabah has remained under-developed and poor because the Federal Government has taken away or not honouring the conditions.

The truth, he said, was that eight of the points had been incorporated into the Federal and State constitutions. two had lapsed, three had been overtaken by events, five had been done while one point concerning no Right of Secession is not a safeguard.

Only one point remains uncompleted and it concerns the requirement that Sabahanisation of the public services should proceed as quickly as possible, he said.

Harris also reiterated that the Government should abolish all subsidies and give assistance to everyone just like what Yayasan Sabah did during his Berjaya Government.

Giving assistance like hardship allowance would prompt the people, especially those in rural areas, to develop their idle lands or agricultural produce.

Harris was among the three speakers at the convention together with Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and Amde Sidik.

SAPP