KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun warned against issuing rash statements about mega-billion projects involving the State Government before even conducting basic evaluations.
Masidi said this would only paint the government as the butt of the joke when the people are more concerned about issues pertaining to steady water supply and drivable roads.
“We welcome foreign investors and projects but we want it to be realistic to avoid being seen as suckers so easily fooled with investment promises yet are impossible to deliver. This will reflect our integrity and credibility.
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“We cannot stop people from making these announcements but when you try to tie it with the State then a feasibility study should be first order.
“Announce it when it is doable. Sabah has only a population of 3.9 million population and when certain quarters announce a project involving 20,000 hectares of land, who would buy that?” he said.
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Irresponsible project announcements such as that of a recent one involving RM20 billion, he said, down the line, would have people labelling the government as a failure not to mention become enraged over the thought of them underplaying inadequate basic utilities.
Masidi advised that proposals of such magnitude should first go through the International Trade and Industry Ministry and then over to the State Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry and relevant State investment arms.
“We only want to work with credible and genuine investors,” he said.
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