You missed question on corruption scandal, Warisan tells Sabah DAP

Summary

• Warisan Youth chief Terrence Au points out that Sabah DAP Youth chief Chan Loong Wei failed to address one of his more crucial questions on Sabah’s corruption scandal.

• He also punches holes into Chan’s defence, saying he is claiming credit for assistance from the federal level.

Warisan Youth Chief Terrence Au has noted Sabah DAP Youth leader Chan Loong Wei for failing to address a crucial issue - the corruption scandal involving the state government.

Au’s remarks came in response to Chan’s statement, which highlighted DAP’s contributions to Sabah following Warisan Youth’s challenge of the party’s impact.

However, Au noted that Chan sidestepped the issue of DAP’s silence on the corruption scandal, which remained unanswered in his rebuttal.

“Why is Chan avoiding my question about the corruption scandal?

“It is truly saddening that DAP, which is part of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah government, has failed to address the rampant corruption crisis plaguing our state. The party has remained silent and failed to express its stance.

“Why has the party chosen to remain silent on such a grave matter? This silence speaks volumes,” he added in a statement.

Au was referring to the slew of videos released by a businessperson, who alleged that he had bribed several assemblypersons in exchange for mineral exploration licences in the state.

Claiming federal credit

Elaborating on Chan’s response, the Warisan Youth leader said he had questioned the Sabah DAP’s contribution and not its parent party based in Kuala Lumpur.

“The Sabah DAP Youth chief proudly showcased the allocations announced under the leadership of the DAP members in headquarters in Malaya. However, bear in mind that these are announcements, the contributions that Chan highlighted have yet to result in meaningful benefits and translated into tangible improvements for our Sabah society.

“Chan cited the RM572 million upgrade for our Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) and Tawau Airport. However, according to CAAM (Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia), Penang International Airport (PIA) with aircraft movements of 64,507 has now overtaken KKIA - 63,822 movements, becoming the second busiest airport in the country in 2024. KKIA was the second busiest airport in the country for the past few decades,” he added.

Au also focused on Chan’s claim that Sabah's manufacturing sector has experienced growth of 4.4 percent under the leadership of Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Phoong Jin Zhe.

“Then why is Sabah’s unemployment rate the highest in the nation at 7.7 percent for the fourth quarter of 2024, while the national rate remains far lower? This is not just a statistic - it is a reality of the hollow advancements and the failure of the GRS government.

“What Chan cited are all from Malaya but not from the Sabah DAP. Perhaps Sabah DAP has not made much contribution. Left with no choice, Chan has to claim credit from federal,” he added.

Yesterday, the Sabah DAP Youth chief said the facts speak for themselves.

“Under the leadership of DAP ministers, we have seen significant federal allocations and policy advancements benefiting Sabah,” he added.

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