Pairin only now asking road builders to be honest?
Published on: Saturday, November 11, 2017
Text Size:
AWFUL Road Maintenance (Forum, Oct 22) and David Lee’s analysis, (Nov 5) gave a very good explanation of why and how of the road situation. It prompts good questions that should be examined.
Is the existing attitude towards road maintenance a reflection of an undeveloped mentality where questionable or short-sighted work ethics are acceptable?
Does it reinforce in visitors’ as well as the citizens’ mind that we are still in the Third World?
Are 50-over years of self-rule still inadequate to uplift ourselves to at least slightly above the Third world mentality?
Are persons delegated with responsibilities more interested in self-gain rather than being patriotic and nationalistic or to ensure that the burden of office duties are carried out with pride for the benefit of the people and nation with a long term view?
It becomes treasonous when citizens accumulate wealth acquired locally through unethical means and then choose to invest and retire overseas. There are rumours that some have bought farms, corporations and even bank(s) overseas. Their gain is the peoples’ loss. Officials cannot treat the nation’s wealth, money and resources as their personal piggy bank.
In DE on Nov 7, Deputy CM cum Infrastructure Dev. Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said ….as the Ministry receiving the biggest sum from the Federal Government in the 2017 Budget, it is a must for the department to carry out its work with honesty.…the total for the supply and Development funds given to the Infrastructure Development Ministry in 2017 was RM1.212 billion.” Isn’t it time Sabahans stop blaming the Federal Government for lack of funds?
What happened to these funds? Is the Minister able to provide any explanation for the badly maintained and dangerous roads? It is extremely distressing and upsetting to hear all these sorts of information.
Doesn’t anyone know what is happening on the ground? It is something that has just happened overnight.
From the bad road conditions, it is apparent that this state of disrepair has been going on for years.
People have grown tired of telling the authorities. If there is no commitment shown, asking the employees to take an oath of honesty as done by MACC now is pointless and makes a mockery of the oath.
Besides the problem of badly maintained roads, we hear of dirty water coming out of taps, and water cuts.
Frequent electrical supply outages, overflowing sewage onto roads, stagnant water in drains, some drains not cleaned to the extent that even trees have grown, newly repaired roads having potholes in less than a month! ( DE Hotline 7th Nov 2017), the list goes on.
All these beg a profound question. Are we ready to rule? If ready, prove it by consistent actions.
Concerned Citizens
ADVERTISEMENT
