‘Change the government to save Sabah’

LAHAD DATU: The opposition is drumming home the message to Sabahans that the state has fallen on hard times despite being rich in resources.

Speaking to some 50 supporters who attended a PKR election preparation gathering here, the party’s Tawau division chairman Kong Hon Min said: “We made a mistake 47 years ago and it is now time to amend that mistake.

“Now is the time to change this Umno-led federal government to save Sabah and bring Sabahans out of poverty.

“Look at Brunei and Singapore: they are successful because they don’t have Umno.”

Kong said it was devastating to know that though Sabahans had gone through many hardship under Umno rule, they had continued to give support to the ruling party.

Citing the recent incident where villagers set fire to a timber company’s property in Kampung Alab in Sook, Keningau, he said it was a manifestation of the corrupt practices and inability of the Umno-led government to resolve the long-standing tussle for land in rural areas.

Kong also questioned the skyrocketing prices on goods and property while wages remained stagnant.

“Sabah has vast agricultural land but many poor Sabahans remain landless.

“Some had applied between five and 10 acres of land from the government, but after waiting more than 30 years they have yet to receive any news, while a big company can easily gain large acreage of land,” he said.

“We need to change this government. It is crucial for all of us to unite and stop reviving Umno in order for the people to enjoy the riches of the state,” he said.

But he reminded them that the struggle against Umno would not be easy.

“What we are facing is not a small party, but a giant Umno, thus we must work hard to enable the party’s message and agendas to reach the people at every level, including remote areas,” he told party members.

Kong, who is also PKR election director, later witnessed the handing-over of 241 party membership cards to supporters, many of whom were prevented from attending after the police failed to grant a permit for a bigger gathering.