Development funds used by Tun M as weapon to ‘punish’ Sabah — PBS
KOTA KINABALU: If anyone is to blame for the slow development of Sabah and Sarawak and the so-called ‘greedy’ leaders he is referring to, it is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad himself, said Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Secretary General Datuk Johnny Mositun.
The former prime minister claimed at a forum in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that the two states were poor and underdeveloped because of their own ‘greedy’ leaders who preferred to sell off their timber abroad for quick profits instead of developing value-added downstream industries and infrastructure.
“Over the 22 years of his premiership the Chief Ministers of Sabah and Sarawak were his men except for the few years that PBS ruled as an opposition party. If they were ‘greedy as he claims, it was his prerogative and within his considerable executive and political powers to bring them to heel but he never did,” Mositun said.
Mositun said under Mahathir’s administration Sabah experienced unparalleled Federal executive and political hegemony that enriched Federal leaders and Mahathir’s cronies.
“More than that, development funds were used as a weapon by Mahathir to ‘punish’ Sabah after PBS toppled Berjaya and declined to form a coalition government with Usno. Out of spite and anger towards PBS, a democratically elected government, he tried to bankrupt Sabah without a thought for the innocent citizens,” he claimed.
Mositun also said the export of logs from Sabah had ended a long time ago since PBS rule so it would be interesting to know who Mahathir was pointing a finger at.