Musa gears up to defend Sabah
Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who gave an exclusive interview to ‘The Star,’ has delivered solid election victories for Barisan Nasional in Sabah but the next one could be as daunting as climbing Mt Kinabalu.
THE tall, imposing gates of Seri Gaya swung open silently to reveal a building that seemed rather too ordinary to be the official residence of the Sabah Chief Minister.
But the house on the hill has a view to die for and the air smelt wonderful. It is a house steeped in history although not always of the happy sort. Only two Chief Ministers are known to have lived there – one died in a plane crash while the last Chief Minister to have stayed there was toppled in a power struggle.
Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who has been Sabah Chief Minister since 2003, prefers to live in his own house and only uses Seri Gaya for official functions.
The Chief Minister’s press secretary Afeiza Khan who, by the way, looks like one of the glamorous Kardashian sisters, had scheduled his interview with The Star at Seri Gaya.
Life must have been simpler then because the house’s main living room was so small, the ceiling so low that the chandeliers could have brushed the head of a tall person.
But history has been made in this very room. The Star’s Sabah bureau chief Muguntan Vanar remembered sitting at the top of the staircase in 1994, watching the assemblymen swear loyalty to then Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan whose hold on power was crumbling around him.
Weeks later, all but four of them jumped ship, Pairin’s government collapsed and Muguntan never looked at politicians the same way again.
No other state in Malaysia has changed government as often as Sabah, and Musa is determined that history will not be repeated.
Musa often comes across as this tough and powerful figure, a sort of dangerous smiling tiger whom you do not want to play the fool with. In person, he is surprisingly soft-spoken, modest in demeanour and that megawatt smile does not seem as dangerous close-up.
His nickname among some Sabah reporters is “Mr Shy”. Unlike most politicians who believe that they exist only when they appear in the media, Musa is incredibly media-shy.
“I am not into publicity, I don’t talk a lot. I believe in less talk, more work,” he said.
He rarely gives press conferences or interviews, he has perfected the art of the media brush-off and prefers to issue press statements. Yet, this publicity-shy Chief Minister has survived longer than any of his predecessors – 14 years, to be exact – and still going strong.
“The facts are there, he is doing a good job. It’s just that he is not the type to blow his own trumpet,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Rahman Dahlan who was once Musa’s political secretary.
Musa has changed the face of the state capital Kota Kinabalu, better known as KK.
That was what the Prime Minister told him during a recent visit: “You have transformed KK”.
Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Seri Abang Johari Tun Openg was in awe when he made his first official visit to Sabah and told his counterpart, “you have really changed the place”.
Kota Kinabalu used to have this wild, wild east air about it. Now, there are modern shopping malls, cafes and hotels, private medical centres, overhead highways and, of course, traffic jams that announce that KK has arrived.
Penampang, which used to resemble a timber town, has grown into a modern suburb with shophouses, dual carriageway roads and an ambitious light industrial park has taken shape there.
The amazing thing is that amid all this development in the last decade, the waters in the famous Likas Bay have stayed a sparkling sapphire blue. It is truly the most fabulous esplanade in the country, rimmed by a 20km coastal drive, pedestrian walkway and bicycle lane.
Sabah is almost as big as the peninsula and in terms of per capita income by state, it is still in the bottom half of the list. Rural poverty and underemployment are still nagging issues.
But the signs of change are everywhere, with infrastructure development trying to keep pace with the expectations of the people. There is a quality road that goes from the west side across the Crocker Range to the east coast, past numerous small towns.
“The development is still uneven but there is no doubt that the change in the last 10 years has been a result of his ingenuity, administrative style and the fact that he is not afraid to hire capable people,” said Sabah-born Fui K. Soong, who is CEO of the CENSE think-tank.
When Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak visited Sabah earlier this month, he decided to get behind the wheels of one of those monster four-wheel drives so popular in Sabah, with Musa as his passenger.
Not everyone gets to be driven by the Prime Minister and Musa was grinning non-stop – he was either very thrilled or very nervous given that it was the first time in years that Najib was driving a car.
Musa, who will turn 65 this week, has survived three Prime Ministers. He came in at the tail end of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he saw Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi come and go and he now has Najib’s ears.
So, has he whispered in Najib’s ears about an early state election?
The question was asked three times in three different ways: Is Sabah going for a stand-alone election? Will it be sooner or later? Are you for it?
But the answer was the same each time: “It is up to the PM”.
It looks like the Sabah side is ready and raring to go but the big boss in Putrajaya has yet to say yes or no.
As for the wide array of opposition parties in Sabah, all he would say was: “The more the merrier”.
States like Sabah and Sarawak have to tumble before Putrajaya can fall. The opposition claim of taking over Putrajaya will remain a dream for as long as they are unable to shake up these two eastern giants whose combined ground area is more than twice that of the peninsula.
The opposition parties from the peninsula know they need to take Musa down if they want a shot at Sabah. There have been numerous stories about his wealth, that he is being investigated for this and that. The stories come and go, it gets everyone stirred up and then fades away before a new edition emerges.
One thing which both supporters and detractors agree on is that his family, especially his children, keep a low profile and do not show off.
For instance, the wedding reception of his son earlier this year was relatively modest considering the family’s wealth and social standing, plus the fact that the guests included the Sultan of Johor and the Sultan of Brunei who flew over in their private jumbo jets.
Musa was already an immensely successful and wealthy businessman before he went into politics. He was the first bumiputera to own a finance company in Sabah and he had built up an impressive business portfolio that was then rumoured to be worth millions.
Sabah used to change its Chief Minister in a rotation system every two years. When Musa took over, the state economy was in shambles and the rotation system had become a big joke.
One of the first things he did was to lobby the federal government to end the rotation and restore stability and continuity in the state administration.
His detractors claim that it enabled him to survive this long. But the primary reason is that Musa is among a handful of state leaders who truly understand the political economy of running a state.
Running a government, whether at state or national level, is as much about economics as it is about politics. When you speak to Musa, you get the sense that he not only sees the dots but he is able to connect all the dots.
Rahman recalled asking the Prime Minister about Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, a rival of Musa, after the big fallout last year.
“Shafie wanted the CM post but the PM said, how can I replace Musa? He delivered solid wins in 2004, 2008 and 2013, the state economy is doing well, the civil service is with him, the TYT (Governor) is with him and so are the component parties,” said Rahman.
Tourism is now Sabah’s No 1 income generator and the state is targeting four million tourist arrivals. Sabah’s central position means that it is only five hours by flight from most major cities in South-East Asia and Australia.
Logging has been completely banned in Sabah and Musa has put in place tough legislation to conserve the state’s unique natural biodiversity. Danum Valley off the east coast has been a Cultural Heritage Area since 1999.
Work is underway to build a docking berth exclusively for cruise ships at one end of scenic Likas Bay while the coastline of Tanjung Aru which Sabahans call “old beach” has been designated for resort development to attract another class of tourists.
“I have a dream for Sabah, I want my state to be the next Dubai, the next Singapore. It is about planning and having a vision,” he said.
Meanwhile, his nemesis Shafie is waiting out there and his new party Warisan is poised to be Umno’s biggest challenge in the general election. Family ties are a big thing in Sabah politics, and Shafie’s exit from Umno has shaken the family.
Shafie’s uncle Tun Sakaran Dandai was a former Chief Minister and Governor. Sakaran, now 86, was the Semporna MP before the seat went to Shafie and his name still carries weight in those parts because he is Semporna’s most accomplished son.
Musa was in Semporna a few weeks ago, ostensibly for the ground breaking of a new market in this famous seaside town. He was accompanied by no less than Sakaran.
Sakaran was his stoic self, he did not say a word but the message was crystal clear – the grand old man of Semporna is still with Umno even though his nephew is leading a new party to go against Umno.
Those unfamiliar with Musa tend to make the mistake of thinking that he is a pure technocrat and a poor politician.
“Listen, he is a consummate politician. His political network is seen and unseen,” said Rahman,
It shows that one must never underestimate a smiling tiger.
Next week: Rumblings in Semporna
You don’t hear him blowing his own trumpet but Musa has delivered big wins for Barisan. He’s got vision and brought development to Sabah. Datuk Rahman Dahlan