Bloody Shameless Sabah Politicians !

Hantu Laut

There are a dime a dozen of this type of Sabah politicians who couldn't care less what people think of their shameless behaviour....... dishonest, lack of integrity, no self-respect and no sense of shame.

Today, I read with great consternation a statement that appeared in the Daily Express made by former Sabah Finance Minister Mohd Noor Mansor saying he regretted joining Harris Salleh, whom he now accused of not having compassion at the time to those who died in the tragic plane crash.

Mansor said "If I had only known then, I would not have joined Berjaya..... the signing of the oil agreement with Petronas  seemed to show no respect to the passing of State leaders in the air-crash.

This man is a pathetic clown and need to see a shrink!

Wasn't he the one who sold the Berjaya building?

Berjaya and Harris ruled the state for almost nine years and he was Finance Minister. What happened then, did he lock up his conscience in the drawer for nine solid years and show no remorse then that he had actually and joyfully participated in such unconscionable act and only found his conscience almost three decades later and blamed Harris for water under the bridge.

Appallingly shameless!

Obviously, shame is not in his vocabulary.

Harris:Government Can Grant Citizenship To Immigrants

Kota Kinabalu: Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh said it is not necessary to serve a subpoena on him to appear before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah when it begins hearings.

"I confirm that I will attend at any time, at any place to give evidence and information on the issue of illegals. There is no need to serve a subpoena on me, it is hoped that those people will lower their blood pressure after reading this statement," he said.

"First of all, it must be emphasised and stressed that the power of granting citizenship and issuing identity cards are vested with the Federal Government under the constitution and law", he said, in the statement, Monday.

This power, he said is now vested with the Ministry of Home Affairs and under the Constitution, the Federal Government can grant citizenship to anyone at anytime even after a few days of arrival, if it deems that person is of national interest.

"This is very clear and written in black and white. Thus, the most any person can do is to help make an application and make recommendation for those eligible to apply for either a permanent stay or citizenship," he said.

"Secondly, if my memory serves me right, it is the policy of the Federal Government since the late 1960s or early 1970s that anybody who is eligible to become citizen would be entertained and granted.

"This is particularly true to the refugees from Indo-China and later Philippines. The late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Malaysia's first Prime Minister announced publicly and openly, the policy that the Federal Government would accept and take Muslim refugees from Myanmar and that non-Muslims could go to Australia, Europe or USA.

"Tunku made this announcement when there were tens of thousands of Myanmar Rohingya refugees coming to Malaysia. It is expected that most of these refugees are now citizens.

"Tunku Abdul Rahman said very clearly in no uncertain terms that those refugees, who are Muslim can stay in Malaysia and would be granted citizenship. This policy is still valid today as the present Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak just a year ago signed an agreement with Australia on a refugee swap with Muslim refugees in Australia coming to Malaysia and non-Muslims going to Australia," he said.

Harris said thus, over the years out of the few hundred thousand Philippine refugees in Sabah, some were issued with IMM13 to allow them to stay in Malaysia, and they must have been accorded citizenship.

Hence, the population increase is a little higher than normal.

On the issue of illegal workers in Sabah, it appeared that there is no study being carried out as to why both employers and employees are at fault, knowing full well the severity of the punishment in store.

However, as pointed out from time to time there were about 200,000 illegal workers who came in legally with passports but over time and due to poor treatment by contractors and high government fees and changing policies, both employers and employees opted to illegal practices.

"It must be noted here that being illegal workers, life is like hell.

They cannot travel around as they like and they will be arrested.

The flow of workers from Indonesia is not going to be forever.

"The Indonesians and Indonesian Government are just 'sakit hati' and waiting for the day when the Indonesian workers will work in their own country. This is happening in Hong Kong where 10 years ago mainland people worked in Hong Kong and now it is the other way around," he said.

In conclusion, Harris said it was puzzling as to why calls for the establishment of the RCI is becoming more and more easy these days.

"Little issues such as people jumping from an apartment and the infamous Lingam tape does not need a RCI.

All these can be handled by the police," he said.

In the United Kingdom which has introduced the RCI more than 500 years ago, one never noticed any RCI being appointed on many important issues unlike in Malaysia.

"It is further noted that the Teoh and Lingam cases were just a waste of time to the commission panels and waste of government money," he said. Daily Express.

Ghosts Of The Past

Hantu Laut

Some have skeletons in the closet that would only haunt them decades later.

Ghosts of the past coming back to haunt those who betrayed the poor kampong folks or was it a ploy by the oppositions. Read the story below.

Angry Murut converts cry foul over land promise

TENOM: Murut natives who had converted to Islam in 1979, under the then Berjaya government-linked mass Islamisation programme which promised new ‘recruits’ individual land titles, are now claiming that the government had cheated them.

The converts were given land plots in Kpg Masanopi, Kembong and have been occupying this area since then. However they have now discovered that the land is not theirs and instead belongs to someone else.

A villager, Ariffin Abdullah, 70, whose original name is Arot Bin Ukab, said that the ‘planned’ village was created in 1979 during the rule of the Berjaya government as a new settlement for a group of Muruts who were willing to convert to Islam.

The converts then went on to develop and till the land providing for themselves by planting rubber trees, orchards and padi. Ariffin was their village head or Ketua Kampung.

But now, so many years later, the villagers who were promised their individual land titles had found out that their settlement area belonged to someone else.

“What is most disappointing is that the land owner turns out to be the person who was entrusted by Harris Salleh (to manage the distribution of the land to us as the new converts,” Ariffin said.

“And our worst nightmare happened when we found out that the person had sold the land to a businessman.

“Imagine, now this businessman has just sued us for illegal occupation of our land!”

“The suit was lodged in Nov 29, 2011. So how can anyone blame us for feeling so humiliated and very angry,” added Ariffin.

Conned all the way

Arffin said that their hard work to develop and till the land had been going on for more than 30 years and during the three decades they were repeatedly assured their land titles would be issued to them in due course.

According to the official records, the first single land title was issued on Oct 30, 1980 under the name of Mohamad Abdul Rahman (then the District Officer of Tenom).

Another was issued to one Anthony Lamb and yet another to Theodore Douglas Lind (the former official of the then Chief Minister).

Ariffin claimed that these three persons were entrusted by Harris to manage and administer the land for the benefit of the converts, but they never got to have the individual land titles issued to the different families as they had promised.

“Instead, they spent the whole 30 over years asking us to be patient.

“But now it is proven (that) their plan (all along) was to own the land, and now thyey have sold it behind our backs,” added Ariffin.Read more.

Harris:RM430m Bum-Bum Bridge A Waste

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Former Sabah Chief Minister has taken to task the Federal government decision to build a bridge linking the mainland with Bum-Bum Island in Semporna initiated during the tenure of former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

Harris is indeed right, the unlikelihood of any potential economic growth of the area would make the bridge a white elephant.Story here and here.

Yong Teck Lee Lost Libel Suit Harris Salleh Awarded RM1 million.

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Yong Teck Lee lost the libel suit brought against him by former Sabah Chief Minister Harris Salleh.Harris was awarded RM1 million.More to come.

Read story here.

Travel Ban On Sabah Former Chief Minister

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The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has barred former Chief Minister Harris Salleh from leaving the country until he settles RM419,715.62 in Real Property Gains Tax, reported in the Daily Express, a Sabah English daily.

When contacted, Harris insisted that the whole episode was a "a very bad mistake" on the part of the authorities which "bothered on malice or was politically motivated" He didn't delve on his statement.

He said "Who ever is responsible can expect to face a law suit"

According to him he has a letter from IRB issued in 2005 stating that the land involved in the transaction was not subjected to tax.

This is not the first time Harris had sued the authorities for actions he deemed to be unjust.

In late 1990 he sued Labuan Development Authority (LDA) for issuing a closure order on his Labuan Hotel on the basis that it was structurally unsafe.

The court awarded him RM90 million compensation and returned the hotel to him.LDA had appealed and the outcome is awaited. It was learnt that the government has agreed to compensate him an appropriate amount out of court.

Harris was a flamboyant and take no nonsense chief minister who ruled with iron will during the Berjaya era from 1976 to 1985, when Sabah underwent significantly high economic development that boosted the state coffers making it one of the richest state at that time.