COMMENT | No victory for Sabahans in the coming state election
COMMENT | A month from today, Sept 26, Sabah’s 1.1 million voters will go to the polls to elect a new state government.
In essence, Sabahans will be electing a new government, but in reality, the same old personalities will still be running the show, irrespective of which party they represent, after the election.
Take a look at the main players in the coming polls and most of us would recognise the same old faces. Many of them were in power at one time or another.
Didn’t I say previously that politicians can never let go of power and many would harbour the desire to cling on to their position till the day they die? They just refuse to go away.
What is sad, and sickening too, is that the few good men and women in politics would gladly step aside while those rotten to the core just refuse to let go, even after they have been rejected by the people.
I make no apology in naming former chief minister Musa Aman as a classic example. Here is a man who has been Sabah’s longest-serving chief executive and what do we remember him best for...
COMMENT | A month from today, Sept 26, Sabah’s 1.1 million voters will go to the polls to elect a new state government.
In essence, Sabahans will be electing a new government, but in reality, the same old personalities will still be running the show, irrespective of which party they represent, after the election.
Take a look at the main players in the coming polls and most of us would recognise the same old faces. Many of them were in power at one time or another.
Didn’t I say previously that politicians can never let go of power and many would harbour the desire to cling on to their position till the day they die? They just refuse to go away.
What is sad, and sickening too, is that the few good men and women in politics would gladly step aside while those rotten to the core just refuse to let go, even after they have been rejected by the people.
I make no apology in naming former chief minister Musa Aman as a classic example. Here is a man who has been Sabah’s longest-serving chief executive and what do we remember him best for – after he was ousted following BN’s defeat in GE14 – probably the multiple charges against him for corruption and money laundering (although he was acquitted later) more than anything else.
Even his own brother, Anifah Aman, has asked Musa (above) to step aside to make way for others. But don’t expect much from this brotherly advice, as sibling rivalry is not an uncommon feature in Sabah politics. The Kitingan brothers’ tussle is perhaps the most prominent case.
The Sept 26 election is totally unnecessary. What triggered it was an attempt to hijack the Warisan-led state government by – yes, you guessed it – Musa Aman.
'The most treacherous coup'
The attempted coup on July 30 brought back the anger and fury felt by many Malaysians in February this year of the hijacking of the Pakatan Harapan government. It was the most treacherous coup in Malaysian political history.
Thankfully, the Sabah coup failed, but at what price?
The Election Commission has disclosed that the coming polls will cost RM180 million. What a waste of public funds!
At a time when the nation’s financial health is at its worst, we have to throw away RM180 million just because of political treachery brought about by schemers, betrayers and traitors all out for personal gain.
The people of Sabah must not be blind to such despicable acts, nor forgive those who have betrayed their mandate and trust. This was clearly an attempt to repeat the February coup in Kuala Lumpur.
Only the wisdom of Sabah Governor Juhar Mahiruddin prevented it from recurring. Last week, I believe the court had acted correctly to dismiss the application for the judicial review of the governor’s July 30 decision to dissolve the Sabah Legislative Assembly.
Then, an election in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic! We are still on the recovery movement control order (RMCO) stage and our dedicated front-liners have been battling to save lives, putting theirs at risk at the same time.
But do the politicians care? Are they concerned that the elections could lead to the creation of new clusters that might cause the loss of lives?
No, what self-serving politicians are interested in is power and how to sustain it for as long as possible. Serving the people? My foot!
True, SOPs have been readied for the elections but compliance with and the effectiveness of the SOPs are another matter.
Take the case of Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Khairuddin Aman Razali (above), who knowingly breached a Covid-19 quarantine order after he returned from Turkey last month.
People, be aware that there are also first-class idiots at the top echelon of government who think that the virus will spare VIPs or that they have a God-given immunity.
The Sabah state election will see VIPs and candidates on their regular campaign rounds and meeting crowds and it will be difficult to adhere to physical distancing.
Let us not kid ourselves that we are all that disciplined and will adhere strictly to SOPs. Most times, we depend on luck that we would not be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
If I were a Sabahan voter, I would pay no attention to the campaign nor would I bother to vote on polling day if my constituency happens to be designated a yellow or red zone.
I’ve previously stated that Sabahans will not gain anything from the coming election because the lack of ideology has already ruined our politics. There will be no victory for them.
Today, I believe this is very true in Sabah. For example, what ideology is there among Sabah parties and politicians when even a 90-year-old ex-chief minister is planning a comeback, and stating publicly that if he succeeds, he would lead for a short period of one or two years and then make way for his successor.
Isn’t that a familiar tune we have heard from another nonagenarian – the one who had helmed Putrajaya twice? Surely, there is no necessity for me to mention names here.
Today, I empathise with my fellow Borneans in the Land below the Wind for what they would have to endure over the next 30 days.
And all because they have too many self-serving and treacherous politicians in their midst.
FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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