WHO else from among the Sabah BN MPs want to give ultimatum to PM Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi? The latest is Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee, his party being a small component in the national coalition notwithstanding.
The one-time Chief Minister also got the audacity to give the PM a deadline to "resolve Sabah issues." As I understand it, the main issue concerns the appointment (or lack of) Sabah BN MPs into the federal cabinet. And Yong referred to an "explosion" which will take place in January. This is reported in today's Star, but there's no elaboration as to what this "explosion" is all about.
Of course we all remember the statement by another BN MP, Kinabatangan's Datuk Seri Ghapur Salleh, who referred to the possible formation of another political party in the land below the wind. This new party can then decide whether to stay within the BN or opt for Pakatan Rakyat.
Wasn't Ghafur one of the Sabah MPs who declined to be appointed deputy minister when the PM announced his Cabinet? The east winds have been blowing hard in the last few weeks. Last week we had MP for Kimanis, Datuk Anifah Aman, who spoke in support of MPs crossing over to Pakatan Rakyat if the BN (read federal leadership) continue to treat Sabah with little respect.
Woh! These are big words. In some ways, I'm of the view that these words are meant to be self-fulfilling. I don't think they are meant to be taken lightly, which means they could very well invite counter views from fellow BN colleagues.
Already the Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamed Aziz had fired back, arguing that these MPs should be careful when making statements. More of his colleagues from the semenanjung could join him in this war of words which could escalate if not addressed quickly.
The Pakatan Rakyat fellows are watching, and not without harbouring hopes that they could be the beneficiary if things turn ugly. Even BN members are itching to know how these skirmishes will end.
On the ground, wakil rakyats from the semenanjung have questions of their own too. Some continue to try and find the rationale for Cabinet appointments (Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, Datuk Maznah Mazlan, Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz to name a few).
Aren't these people questioning the prerogative of the Prime Minister in selecting his Cabinet members? If the government is to focus on combating rising prices, such bickering must stop, or else...
There's still much undercurrent within the BN 'bungalow' and I'm not sure if the occupants are all friendly and in harmony with one another. Everyone's watching and hoping.
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7 comments:
Just a minor correction here Sir. Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh is the MP for Kalabakan. Kinabatangan's MP is Datuk Bung Moktar Radin. Salam.
TQ Anon 10:11. Appreciate it very much...
It is true, it is the prerogrative of the PM, to appoint Ministers, but surely there must be some rational justification, common practice and culture to be followed.
Appointing a state assembly woman (who was an EXCO member) to be a senator for Deputy Minister's post, is clearly an absurd move.
Likewise too, appointing `politically questionable' personnel, creates more `questionable' justification.
I am sure there are capable MPs to be appointed rather than `recruiting' from outside Parliment, going by the nature of situation after the GE12.
The Sabah MPs has every reason to grumble about. Sri Gading's Dato Mohamaed Aziz's argument has its ground, but the Sabah MPs too, argued on the right ground. They have the `numbers'. After all it is what democracy is all about, isn`t it.
The only `setback' could be,it is very much better if it is `grumbled' during the UMNO Assembly.!!
Ramli Mohd Yunus
Alor Star.
The problem, my dear friend, is not everybody lives in a bungalow. Bungalow is a Hindi word.
Zahid Hamidi may live in a palacial bungalow. So it was fine for him to use bungalow as an analogy.
And not to mention his cars that are now lining the road in front of his government hse in Putrajaya.
In Sabah and Sarawak, our fellow Malaysians live in long houses and riverine huts without running water and electricity.
This is the problem when leaders can't think. When they can't think, they become insensitive. They make statements that hurt people. They seem not to learn from the March 8 polls. They are as arrogant as ever.
You may be able to quote passages from the Quran. But that does not automatically make you a good person if you don't understand and practise them.
Then again you and I know people like Zahid and Zaid better than the average readers. We were there Brother.. we were there!
Thank you.
Sir, Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh went on to be sworn before the King as a Deputy Minister, only to resign thereafter.
Although the people of Sabah knew who Ghapur is, for his `hobby' of resigning from ministrial post (Finance Minister of Sabah), what he had said in Parliament were the voice of the people in this Land Below the Wind.
Although he assured not to `go into a terrace house', the people of Sabah will not be surprised should he switchs allegiance to the Opposition.
If he does that, he will have the supports from the people.
And although the rich and famous in Peninsula Malaysia do not believe, there are actually hardcore poor people in Sabah, living in huts which to others are not even fit for chicken.
Salam Datuk,
It'll be an interesting development alright, watching the inevitable implosion. It'll be hard to maintain such an inequitable distribution of power. Especially when those in power are only grasping by threads. And especially when, as Encik Ramli Mohd Yunus put it, the PM made absurd moves without rational justification which further alienate the other boarders in the bungalow. Prerogative notwithstanding.
If the Sabah MPs are genuinely working and fighting for the betterment of the Sabahans, good on them. Threats notwithstanding. The majority of East Malaysians had been given a raw deal for too long. If they are in it just for personal glory and gains, well, they'll be in the spotlight again sooner rather than later.
People are much more well informed now. And there are more Sabahans and Sarawakians working in the peninsular than ever before. Unless all of them are that shallow and spend all of their waking hours watching the Akademi Fantasia diaries, these peeps will definitely be able to compare the development here and back home. Imagine the efforts needed just to get home. Let alone getting food on the table. Unless those peeps are taken into account when all those Malaysian Plans are being formulated, there'll be a time when a strong leader or a group of leaders amongst them be able to even gather enough support for a referendum to severe their ties with the Federation. That will be the day all hell broke loose.
And talking about the hard life, there are more than a few in Semenanjung as well. If only the politicians, from both divides, care to look around them, care to get out of their comfy cars and offices and maybe walk a few kilometres in those gravel, muddy pit they call roads. And yes, they can leave their Ferragamos in their SUVs.
After the March 8 polls, the so-called BN bungalow has been renovated Dtk.
Now the 50 yr old bungalow has too many exit points carved out of meranti.
These exits, I was made to understand, has frames without doors - thus leading to a free two-way flow.
The in-flow ( are the senators u mentioned ) while the out-flow is said to be coming soon.
The irony is that while additional exit points were inadvertently created by the March 8 polls outcome, nothing has been done to improve the living condition in the bungalow.
Occupants complain that the entire air-conditioning system which had been perfect b4 the polls had suddenly experienced a major breakdown which is yet to be rectified.
The 'heat' in the bungalow is said to be unbearable to many, but the chief caretaker of the bungalow is said to have allowed some to share his air-conditioning unit periodically.
The chief caretaker has also been making numerous promises to the occupants but not many respect his words anymore.
Word has also spread that the chief-caretaker and his family members were busy constructing another mansion in a faraway land and might just abandon this old BN bungalow and flee.
When that happens, the whole nation could be struck by 'shock and awe'.
Is this something impossible Dtk?
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