Why West M’sia getting favouritism? – LDP

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Central Youth Movement leader Sim Fui has expressed disappointment over the Federal Government’s favouritism towards Peninsular Malaysia with its plan to acquire 15 highways in Kuala Lumpur for RM43 billion and building the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) for RM44 billion while the Pan Borneo Highway Sabah has been much delayed.

He said construction of the RM12.8 billion Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah has commenced since 2016 but its completion was nowhere in sight due to the delays.

“Can Putrajaya please explain the reason for the long delay in awarding the remaining contracts for Pan Borneo Highway Sabah and other infrastructure projects in the State?” he asked.

Sim said only 12 out of the 35 packages under Pan Borneo Highway Sabah have been awarded, while Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak was 70 per cent completed with all the contracts awarded.

“For the past one year, there has been no new announcement on federal-funded infrastructure projects in Sabah.”

Even worse, he said Putrajaya had cancelled the RM4 billion gas pipeline project which would supply gas to the east coast for power generation and industrialization, despite having paid 88 per cent for the project.

“Why is Putrajaya shortchanging Sabah’s time and time again even though our State is contributing so much revenue from oil and gas (Sabah has the highest oil and gas reserves in Malaysia), palm oil and tourism?

“Can the Federal Government blame us Sabahans for fighting for Sabahans when so much allocation is spent to develop Peninsular with revenue derived from Sabah?”

Sim stressed that Sabah required substantial development funds for our roads and power generation and distribution in the east coast.

“We are even more upset when the Federal Government cannot even settle our small RM31.5 million skybridge in Kota Kinabalu to resolve the issue, leaving us with an abandoned pedestrian bridge in the city centre.”

Sim was also baffled as to why the State Government had to wait for a report from religious bodies and departments before deciding if the controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik should be banned from entering the State.

He said Zakir’s extreme statements had upset the people to the point where Johor, Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Sarawak, Malacca and Selangor had barred the Indianborn preacher from stepping into the states.

He expressed regret that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal insisted on waiting for the report before making a decision on Zakir as the latter’s remarks clearly contradicted the spirit of harmony in our multiracial society.

Sim said the fact that more than half the states in Malaysia had banned Zakir showed that the preacher had disrespected the spirit of racial unity and harmony in Malaysia.

“As a foreigner, Zakir has no grounds to comment on the racial composition of Malaysia and making remarks that could destroy harmony.

“Our country must reject these extremists,” he said.

Sim pointed out that the preacher’s threat to sue three Democratic Action Party (DAP) leaders and a former diplomat would not sit well with the people.