This letter was sent by the writer lawyer Peter Marajin to Daily Express Forum soon after the last General Election in 2008 which he participated as an Independent candidate. This letter was never published. Borneo Herald is publishing it now courtesy of request by the write.
P.O. Box 22226,
88781 Luyang, Kota Kinabalu.
Date: 09/04/08
Editor,
DAILY EXPRESS
P.O.Box 10139,
88801 Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Editor,
Kindly publish my following letter in your esteemed newspaper this coming Sunday, if you can. Thank you.
“A month has passed since the last election in which the Sabah voters had given the BN a thumping majority to rule Sabah once again for the next five years or so. The last election also saw my participation for the first time as an independent candidate in Kadamaian, albeit, lost. But for me the fight for justice for Sabah and the Sabahans shall never end with the loss but rather will mark the beginning of a long and arduous struggle.
On this occasion I would like to take this opportunity to express my thankfulness and gratitude to the Kadamaian folks who voted for me. A similar gratitude shall also go to those who did not vote for me as I respect their decision for the choice of Wakil. I am also taking this opportunity to congratulate Herbert Timbon Lagadan for his “victory” in Kadamaian under the BN ticket. This is his third term as the Wakil Rakyat for Kadamaian which is indeed a record where no one who had ever become wakil for Kadamaian had attained a similar feat before him. I am pinning my hope and joining the majority of the people in Kadamaian in hoping that Herbert Timbon Lagadan will this time around fulfill his promises to all of us to give socio-economic developments to his constituents who have been long neglected and marginalized group of people occupying this part of the country.
Just to prove a point or two, simply take a ride to most kampungs in Kadamaian and you will know exactly what I mean, the conditions of the “roads” in Kadamaian – for example the road from Kg. Piasau, which is only about 3 kilometers from Kota Belud town, stretching up to Sayap about 30 kilometers away and passing through several other kampungs such as Tombulion, Nahaba, Togudon, Tolungan, Torintidon, is in an appalling condition. And your eyes do not have to be discerning enough to notice the deplorable roads condition from Kg. Bundu Paka passing through several other kampungs like Lingkubang, Purak Kogis, Kabayau, Malangkap Baru, Malangkap Tomis, Malangkap Kapa, Malangkap Tiong, Malangkap Noriou, Tinata, Gonsurai, Koung Melaan, Mongkulat, Pinolobuh and Bukid. Also make sure you are on a tip top conditioned 4-wheel drive vehicle to take you to a bumpy and/or muddy trip to Kg. Tongkurus, Gondukut, Lahanas and through to a rocky passage to Losou Podi and the surrounding kampungs. Interestingly but ironically, even the sight of the roads to Kg. Kiau Nulu, Kiau Bersatu, Lobong-Lobong and Koung at the foot of the majestic World Heritage Mount Kinabalu is very pitiful. On top of this, not even one kampung in Kadamaian enjoying clean, treated water supplies but either depending solely on untreated water from nearby rivers, streams or wells by way of channeling it through water gravity or pumps, or merely relying on rain water. But nothing from the taps. And all these are still prevalent after almost 45 years of “Independent” in a land of abundance with BILLIONS of Ringgits taken out from its land and its people yearly and they go straight to the Federal Government coffers.
Lastly but not the least, we also hope that our Wakil Rakyat Herbert Timbon Lagadan, after a third term in office, will now abandon his notorious but infamous line of excuses “Sudah lulus bah itu tapi tiada peruntukan!!” whenever he is queried by the Rakyat in Kadamaian of his promises to provide the above mentioned basic infrastructural facilities.”
Thank you.
PETER MARAJIN
HP:013-8889988
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