Bung feels Sabah sidelined in new Cabinet line-up

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (pic) feels that the state is under-represented in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Federal Government despite the support of almost all of Sabah MPS in the administration.

He added that the two ministers’ posts given to Pakatan Harapan’s component parties Upko and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) were not reflective of the support given to the unity government by 24 out of the 25 Sabah MPS.

Instead, Sarawak got the Deputy Prime Minister’s post as well as five ministries, he added.

Bung Moktar, who is also Sabah Barisan Nasional chief, said while he respects the decision of the Prime Minister on his Cabinet members, he said it was necessary for Sabah to be represented equally in the Cabinet to show that the Federal Government was serious in ensuring that Sabah’s rights and development are on the national agenda.

“It seems that Sabah has been sidelined in the formation of the Cabinet in the new unity Federal Government in terms of portfolio appointments, particularly involving Sabah Barisan, which had given an early commitment together with its national leadership in backing Pakatan to form the government and Anwar to be Prime Minister,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

“There is not even one representative from Sabah Barisan in the Cabinet compared to Sarawak which has five.

“I am worried. Does this mean that Sabah will also be left out of development plans?” said Bung Moktar, who led Sabah Barisan to win seven seats in the just concluded elections, the most among the parties that contested in the state.

Anwar announced on Friday night that incoming Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick and GRS’ Papar MP Datuk Armizan Ali were appointed into his Cabinet as the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister as well as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs), respectively.

GRS won six seats, Pakatan five while Parti Warisan secured three seats; independents two seats and one seat each was obtained by Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat and Perikatan Nasional, respectively.

Sabah Barisan was also the second highest contributor to Barisan’s overall 30 seats nationwide after Johor Barisan.

Towards this end, Bung Moktar congratulated the two new Sabahan ministers but stressed that it was important for Sabah to be given portfolios that would benefit the state.

“People picked for the job must be well-versed in the issues of Sabah rights and the state’s needs. Such a minister must be able to argue the state’s case with knowledge of all the issues.

“Sabah needs a strong voice in the Cabinet to make sure development funds for our schools, roads and electricity among others, need to be addressed quickly without any further delays,” he said.

Bung Moktar hoped that all new ministers will give priority to resolve these issues in Sabah and not put the programmes for the state in the back burner.

“For instance, the Pan Borneo Highway project must be continued and expedited. We do not wish to see the project disrupted again as what took place when Pakatan became the government in 2018,” he said.

Analysts are also of the opinion that Sabah deserved more than two ministers.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer Dr Romzi Ationg said Sabah deserved more lead positions in the Federal Government, pointing out that most poor districts are in the state.

“Despite having only two ministers, we may have more deputy ministers (later),” he said.

Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said he was “quite shocked” to see only two Sabah MPS picked as full ministers in Anwar’s administration.

He believed that Sabah should have at least four minister positions.