In response to my last Sunday’s article “The tough gets going when the going gets tough”, a very prominent Sabah businessman, who is very concerned about Sabah’s future said to me that Sabah can choose to stay poor or be poorer, going further down the slippery rope of economic quagmire.
SHARP-contrasting statements what Sabah have and could have become with subtle play of Chinese characters. 為了我們的後袋我們要向錢看 implies being irresponsible, greedy, corrupt. 為了我們的後代我們要向前看 implies being responsible, forward looking, concerned and plan ahead for future generations.
Losing it is easy. Regaining it is a HERCULEAN task. Because of extensive 為了我們的後袋我們要向錢看 malpractices by past leaders, Sabah has lost ownership of the economy since the mid 1980s. Regaining it will be a really tough job. Many of our resources have been depleted and/or have been lost to non-Sabahans without any downstream or economic value chain. This wilful negligence has enriched a few Sabahan elites but has impoverished the majority, have financially benefited numerous non-Sabahans. A cursory examination of Sabah’s resource mismanagement will tell Sabah’s sad tale from wealth to poverty.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the party has yet to reach a decision on whether or not to take action against its five Sabah.
KOTA KINABALU, June 30 Australian foreign minister and senator Penny Wong reconnected today with the city where she was born, Kota Kinabalu, after an absence of five.