Bernard Giluk Dompok: 'A Dog In The Manger'

Hantu Laut

Never trust a politician to tell the truth.If they are in the government and make noises on certain issues most of the time it is for their own selfish interest not for the rakyat (the people).

Bernard Giluk Dompok, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and President of UPKO has been yelling at the Sabah state government,Federal government and Petronas to scrap the gas pipeline from Kimanis in Sabah to Bintulu in Sarawak.

Petronas had explained that it is not economical to set up another LNG plant in Sabah due to reason of economy of scale where it is cheaper to pipe the gas to Bintulu.To set up a plant in Sabah would involve much bigger investment.

Bintulu is the single largest gas export terminal in the world where the gas are exported from one of the largest LNG plant in the world.It makes economic sense to pipe the gas to Bintulu.

The right thing for Bernard Giluk Dompok to do is to find out whether Sabah state is getting royalties from the sale of the gas and stop barking up the wrong tree to try rile up the people of Sabah to go against the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Sabah for something he was rumored to have tried to get for himself and his macais but was unsuccessful.The other story going round was that he was not happy with the PM for his appointment as Minister in the PM's Department which he thinks is below his level.It goes to show what kind of person he is.If you think the position is demeaning to you than why accept it in the first place.Anifah Aman and Ghaffur Salleh took the bold decisions not to accept.

This man had been critical of the PM since the days of Anwar's rhetoric of taking over the government and have shamelessly continue doing so ever since although he is a member of the Federal Cabinet.He is playing the same game as Yong Teck Lee.Keep one foot in the BN's ship and one foot hanging outside and in the event Anwar took over the government can jump ship and join Anwar.They think it's smart but they forgot there are people watching them and can read them through and through.It's disgustingly low level politicking.The right word would be 'politik kampong'.

Yong eventually took the right decision to take his party SAPP out of the BN and now have a rightful place in the opposition and have the right to criticise the government.

It is also not for Dompok to tell Petronas how to run its business.If Petronas is guided by politics more than by commercial consideration why did it put up the biggest LNG plant in Bintulu and not in Labuan or in Trengganu.They can run the pipe line to Labuan or Trengganu.They didn't because the cost would be exorbitant.

Bernard Giluk Dompok is playing a dangerous game of trying to rile up Sabahan to go against the Federal government because of his disillusionment with the PM and probably the Chief Minister of Sabah but still wants to wear the BN's hat.He also politicised the issue to gain political mileage in KDM(KadazanDusunMurut) areas and look forward to rejection of BN supports at the next elections.His party would than align with the oppositions.

Instead of his useless rhetoric on the gas pipeline he should have put all his effort to move the Federal government to take immediate action on the medical crisis in the state which is at a very critical level.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital buildings have been found structurally unsafe and patients have been evacuated from the hospital and sent to smaller and poorly equipped hospitals in smaller towns causing great inconvenience to patients and their families.Which one he thinks is more urgent the gas pipeline or the medical crisis or is he a politician especially designated to look after the gas pipeline by his people?

This is typical of some of Sabah politicians, if you can't get what you wanted, point the gun, rile up the people and if the leadership give in and give you what you wanted than everything hunky dory.

If he is a gentleman and truly cares for Sabahan and is against the government policies than I would urge him in all sincerity to hand in his resignation as a Minister immediately.

If you don't than you are nothing but 'a dog in the manger'

Also read:
Dompok says not in the mood of giving up