Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal will table a Private Member’s Bill on the anti-hopping law in the next State Assembly sitting.Shafie, who is also Semporna MP and a former Chief Minister, stressed the importance of implementing the anti-hop law which has long been delayed, in order to prevent political instability in Sabah and align the State Government with the Federal Government.
“If the State Government does not want to present it, I will do it. The Private Bill is ready and I will bring it to the next DUN sitting,” he said, after a breaking of fast ceremony at the Masjid Jamek Likas, Saturday.
The Senallang Assemblyman added it was needless for elected representatives to jump parties, especially those who do so to chase bigger positions.
“There are a lot of local parties, but it is not the party that is important but rather the struggle of its members.
“I am not accusing anybody but this is the check and balance.
“We must leave it to the people, as they have the right to choose their leaders to represent them, who can solve their problems,” he said.
Shafie said Warisan has always supported the Federal Unity Government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“However, I told Anwar that at the State-level, I do not have a problem being in the opposition. I will bring up the voice of people on the grassroots who are dissatisfied with various problems, such as water and electricity supply.”
He would raise longstanding issues which the current government still failed to resolve despite raking in billions of State revenue.
He said it was ironic that the State collected RM7 billion in revenue as well as investments worth RM33 billion, yet many Sabahans today are still feeling the pinch.
“We want to see financial matters managed appropriately. We hear of the money, but at the grassroots we still do not experience this wealth,” he said.
Shafie said the Sabah Government during his term as Chief Minister circa 2018 to 2020 was forced to spend millions to address the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed other developments.
“We had to spend on vaccines, food aid, security and health… I allocated RM1 million for all the ministries (involved). Now that Covid-19 is not as bad as before, the money should be focused on resolving issues regarding water and electricity, among others,” he said.
Shafie said the shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas, was also becoming a grave concern and suggested Universiti Malaysia Sabahs’ medicine faculty be upgraded.
He said UMS could adopt similar medical programmes conducted at other universities in the peninsula that have produced some 400 to 500 medical graduates, and offer it to Sabah youths, especially from Sipitang and Kudat.
With locally produced doctors, the Government can lessen its expenditure as there is no need to think of outstation allowance or providing quarters, as they would be Sabahans who already live here.
