Siringan admits what colleague Masidi denied on poverty in Ranau

Jalibin Paidi of STAR

By Jalibin Paidi of State Reform Party
RANAU : When i made a statement early April this year that Ranau could well be the poorest district in Sabah, Keranaan Assemblyman Masidi Manjun denied it bluntly, saying there is no truth to it. But the very recent remarks by Ranau MP Siringan Gubat in Parliament as carried by local newspapers days ago had vindicated me on my contention.

It must be God's way of telling the ruling party Barisan Nasional that Ranau indeed is in poverty and in need of help. And that is a fact actually, when you go to the ground around Ranau town and in remoter kampungs, a fact some ruling leaders like Masidi prefer to deny, and therefore do nothing (because in their take there is no poverty).

When Siringan said days ago in Paliament that the high incidence of poverty in Ranau was worrying, i guess Masidi must be gritting his teeth for such remarks in Parliament only confirmed my earlier contention that Ranau could be the poorest district in Sabah, as it is already surrounded by other poor districts.

Now i would like Masidi to tell us what is his opinion about Siringan's own findings on Ranau which has three state contituencies, Keranaan, Kundasang and Paginatan.

If Siringan's remarks is of any credence as he is the MP for Ranau overlooking the three areas, then is it wrong to assume that Masidi could have been all this while too detached from Kundasang and Paginatan if not his own Keranaan.

In April i said Ranau, a district surrounded by the rural-most parts of several poverty stricken districts such as Kota Marudu, Beluran, Tongod, Tambunan, Keningau, Kota Belud and Tuaran districts, could be the poorest in Sabah, as compounded by the very visual of poverty incidence in the district.

"STAR is concerned because many areas in Ranau in fact still do not enjoy basic amenities such as good roads, electricity and water. It is also a very hilly district, and that it is a common scene that natives live in poverty, living in old dilapidated wooden houses here and there," i had said then.

I have also said that  signs of poverty can also be seen from the low purchasing power of the people. In Ranau, we have three state constituencies but only two visible towns - Ranau itself and Kundasang, both thriving partly because they are right on the east-west road that connects Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and Tawau.

I had also said then that the tourism sector too has in fact benefited little to the ordinary kampung folks. There haven't any outstanding programmes that have really helped leap-frog meaningful participation of local entrepreneurs in tourism. It is all ordinary and naturally developed, not so much of government intervention, and that includes the agriculture sector too.

I have also dared Masidi and Siringan to enlighten the public on the real situation of poverty and rural developments in Ranau by giving data on increase of income, infrastructures, school drop-outs, mortality rate and migration of youths to other towns and cities.