State Minister Masidi Manjun said Putrajaya was controlling everything, staff, contractors and "even trivial matters with regard to the tender of food supplies" in schools.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Masidi Manjun, has joined Sabah Speaker, Salleh Said Keruak, in publicly calling for the dismantling of cenralisation of power within the Federal leadership in Putrajaya.
Salleh who is also Sabah Umno deputy liaison chief has on many occasions before called for the central power to respect Sabah autonomy and have a more decentralised administration, including on disbursing of funds through federal agencies in the state.
Masidi, who is also the state Umno assistant secretary, said failures to fully implement federal government programmes in Sabah could be attributed to a domineering central power in Putrajaya.
“The authority to decide lies with Putrajaya and power is not given to the people of Sabah to implement programmes,” alleged Masidi who many believed, like Salleh, has been briefed various times by Sabahan officers of the awkward situation there were in under such circumstances.
“Even trivial matters with regard to the tender of supplies for food is decided by Putrajaya,” said Masidi when launching a seminar on Malaysia Education Development Plan (PPPM) here yesterday. Also present was Sabah Education Director, Jame Alip.
“In this day and age, such incidents should not happen anymore, particularly when we want everything to be done swiftly,” he said adding that as a result, a lot of time and resources were wasted.
In his no-holds barred speech, Masidi said: “Schools (projects) in Sabah are neglected due to issues like cement problem…if the power to decide is given to the director (State Education director), we have ample and able contractors to carry out these projects, but we still have to get the authorisation from Putrajaya.
“I am voicing these issues not because I am against it, but because I am fully supportive of it and want to see all the programmes to be realised fully.
“I have outlined each of the problems faced in the education sector (in Sabah).
“I have also gone through the process of implementing the education (programmes) in Sabah and it is fraught with problems and challenges due to the authority.
“How wonderful it would be if the authority to decide is given to us (Sabah) so that we can implement the Education Ministry’s programmes successfully,” he said adding that Sabah was not ungrateful to the federal government.
Stop giving us federal contractors
He pointed out issues that needed to be addressed immediately to ensure successful implementation of Federal Government programmes in Sabah.
He said the first issue was on the provision of the power to decide to State directors and or any federal government agencies based in Sabah.
He explained that contracts were often given to companies that were not based in Sabah and this did not just apply to the education sector.
He said there were many capable contractors in Sabah who possed the technical expertise tohandle projects.
“The Central Government has to understand the aspiration of the people of Sabah.
“Please don’t appoint Peninsular Malaysia-based contractors for contracts involving safety works, for instance, because we have former police personnels who could do such work.
“We are not angry that others get the project but let it (the granting of projects) be balanced.
“Unfortunately, everything goes to peninsula,”
Secondly, he called for the Sabahans to be considered for federal government posts in Sabah, including minor posts such as Assistant Lab Technicians in the State must be given to Sabahans and not outsiders.
“If these posts are given to those in Peninsular Malaysia, then the people of Sabah will die.
“These matters may seem trivial but they are important to raise our spirit to continue with the success of the national plan,” he said.
Thirdly he said all PPPM projects should be given to Sabahans and that there should be a secretariat in Sabah to foresee the successful implementation of the PPPM here.
“We need to ensure the plan continues to be relevant till 2025,” he added
FMT Borneo Plus
Salleh who is also Sabah Umno deputy liaison chief has on many occasions before called for the central power to respect Sabah autonomy and have a more decentralised administration, including on disbursing of funds through federal agencies in the state.
Masidi, who is also the state Umno assistant secretary, said failures to fully implement federal government programmes in Sabah could be attributed to a domineering central power in Putrajaya.
“The authority to decide lies with Putrajaya and power is not given to the people of Sabah to implement programmes,” alleged Masidi who many believed, like Salleh, has been briefed various times by Sabahan officers of the awkward situation there were in under such circumstances.
“Even trivial matters with regard to the tender of supplies for food is decided by Putrajaya,” said Masidi when launching a seminar on Malaysia Education Development Plan (PPPM) here yesterday. Also present was Sabah Education Director, Jame Alip.
“In this day and age, such incidents should not happen anymore, particularly when we want everything to be done swiftly,” he said adding that as a result, a lot of time and resources were wasted.
In his no-holds barred speech, Masidi said: “Schools (projects) in Sabah are neglected due to issues like cement problem…if the power to decide is given to the director (State Education director), we have ample and able contractors to carry out these projects, but we still have to get the authorisation from Putrajaya.
“I am voicing these issues not because I am against it, but because I am fully supportive of it and want to see all the programmes to be realised fully.
“I have outlined each of the problems faced in the education sector (in Sabah).
“I have also gone through the process of implementing the education (programmes) in Sabah and it is fraught with problems and challenges due to the authority.
“How wonderful it would be if the authority to decide is given to us (Sabah) so that we can implement the Education Ministry’s programmes successfully,” he said adding that Sabah was not ungrateful to the federal government.
Stop giving us federal contractors
He pointed out issues that needed to be addressed immediately to ensure successful implementation of Federal Government programmes in Sabah.
He said the first issue was on the provision of the power to decide to State directors and or any federal government agencies based in Sabah.
He explained that contracts were often given to companies that were not based in Sabah and this did not just apply to the education sector.
He said there were many capable contractors in Sabah who possed the technical expertise tohandle projects.
“The Central Government has to understand the aspiration of the people of Sabah.
“Please don’t appoint Peninsular Malaysia-based contractors for contracts involving safety works, for instance, because we have former police personnels who could do such work.
“We are not angry that others get the project but let it (the granting of projects) be balanced.
“Unfortunately, everything goes to peninsula,”
Secondly, he called for the Sabahans to be considered for federal government posts in Sabah, including minor posts such as Assistant Lab Technicians in the State must be given to Sabahans and not outsiders.
“If these posts are given to those in Peninsular Malaysia, then the people of Sabah will die.
“These matters may seem trivial but they are important to raise our spirit to continue with the success of the national plan,” he said.
Thirdly he said all PPPM projects should be given to Sabahans and that there should be a secretariat in Sabah to foresee the successful implementation of the PPPM here.
“We need to ensure the plan continues to be relevant till 2025,” he added
FMT Borneo Plus
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