Sabah, Sarawak should be given 10 Federal posts: PKR
KOTA KINABALU:
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) State Youth Vice Head Muada Joe Ojihi said at least 10 Federal Ministries should be allocated to Sabah and Sarawak to reflect the East Malaysian States’ pertinent position in the Federation. Muada said important portfolios such as Public Works, Agriculture and Rural Development could have been entrusted relevantly to leaders from East Malaysia, still underdeveloped but encompassed a much bigger size than the whole of Peninsular, the other part of the Federation. “There must be reasons why it is so difficult for the Federation to strengthen East Malaysia within the Federation itself This is an irony. We used to see leaders from East Malaysia standing side by side with the Prime Minister; but no more now. “But what we see now is our Prime Minister is always flanked by Chinese, Indian and Malay leaders, all from the Peninsular. We missed pictures like Tun Temenggung Jugah or Tuan Fuad Stephens seen beside the Premier,” he said. Muada however pointed out that it is not so much only about position but the sincerity to acknowledge the inseparable two lands, which in 1963 came together to agree to form a federated states called Malaysia. “Despite this, the Barisan Nasional (BN) managed to convince East Malaysian voters to give it almost 100 per cent seats in the recent election, unlike in Peninsular where the BN lost in six states, including the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. “I support the view of PKR Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan that Sabah BN leaders must use this opportunity to be united to get more for Sabah and not be contented with a raw deal by the central leadership,” he added.
