Sabah's economic slump not my fault: Shafie
Published on: Thursday, August 13, 2020
By: Malay Mail
Shafie (second left) hands over the land titles to a representative of recipients.
Kota Kinabalu: Caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal Wednesday said the current downturn in Sabah is not his fault, but had been building up before he took office.The Warisan president who was first appointed Chief Minister said he had to weather political challenges on top of trying to revive Sabah’s economy that has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“I’ve faced a lot of challenges in trying to develop the State. We’ve had two years and in that we have had to face not only Covid-19 but also ‘Covid politics’.
“At least I’ve managed to open factories and bring up the agriculture industry providing jobs. We have a blueprint that will provide more jobs for Sabahans,” he told reporters after a land title handing over ceremony in Kudat.
He pointed out that Sabah had been declared the poorest state in Malaysia since 2010, and in subsequent years has seen many of its people migrate to the peninsula and to Singapore in search of jobs.
“I wasn’t the Chief Minister then. This downturn is not because of me. Other places are also seeing businesses and hotels closing down. The entire world is facing a slump. But we cannot say just because of Covid-19 we are not doing well,” said Shafie.
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He argued that most of his critics were affiliated to his political nemesis Tan Sri Musa Aman and who were no longer awarded government projects.
Shafie said he stopped awarding many projects to such people as they had their own agendas and were not serving the public interest.
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“There is economic activity but the problem is his macai-macai (dependents) no longer have the same business as they did before,” he said.
Shafie said he worked hard to implement economic development and investments, but claimed there was much interference.
“We have made good plans but there are a lot of interferences. The land grants, the factory producing cooking all, they all say it’s their idea,” he said.
Shafie also said the federal ruling party Bersatu was supposed to be its political partner in Sabah, but claimed to have been “backstabbed” instead in the Kimanis parliamentary by-election earlier this year.
“I thought they were sincere, but turns out they voted for Barisan, not Warisan. They only appeared to not be getting along but in fact they were working together,” he said.
Sabah is headed for the polls soon after the state legislative assembly was dissolved on July 30.
Meanwhile, some 399 villagers received Native Land (NT) land grants.
A total of 2,142 acres or 866,877 hectares in 121 villages included Kg Tuhau, Membatu Darat, Andap Jawa, Indarason, Terongkongan, Parapat, Garib, Merimbau Darat, Tiga Papan, Mompilis, Pata, Timug, Padang, Nangka, Nusa-Nusa, Sungai Pupu, Pinampang, Hobut, and Kg Sibumbung Laut.
Shafie said, to date, about 10,000 land titles have been handed to their owners since 2019 throughout Sabah including in Beluran, Lahad Datu, Keningau, Kinabatangan and Kudat.
Clearly, he said under the Warisan-led State government, it has and will provide solutions to all problems to enable them to return the people’s claim rights.
“I have started handing over land titles to Sabahans since a year ago. Thus, there should be no accusation or claims that the act of giving out this land titles is merely to ‘fish’ votes.
“As long as the election writ has not been issued, then we are allowed to carry out our duties as the State Government to hand over what is due to the people. We also do not know who the candidates are and we do not know who will contest.
“So as elected representatives and as the top leadership of the state, we will ensure that services and responsibilities towards the people are continued despite any challenges,” he said to reporters at Tun Mustapha hall.
Also present were Sabah Lands and Surveys Department director Bernard Liew Chau Min, Natural Resources Secretary Ag Shahminan Ag Sahari, Kudat District Officer Sabdin Ibrahim, Kudat Police Chief Supt Mohd Firdaus Francis Abdullah, incumbent Banggi assemblyman Mohammad Mohamarin, and incumbent Tanjong Kapor assemblyman Ching Chen Bin @ Ben Chong.
Bernard said since 1884, a total of 12,776 land titles had been issued in Kudat with otal land acreage of 50, 411 hectares (124, 569-acre) whereby 6,587 land titles or 53 per cent were NT titles.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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