STAR: nothing new in 2012 budget except for election goodies

“There is nothing new about the 2013 State Budget except for a few election goodies” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, on the so-called record RM4,088 billion 2013 Budget.

The amount is more or less similar to the 2012 Budget of RM4.048 billion.  A RM40 million increase is less than 1% and insignificant. Obviously, due to the impending general elections, the state civil servants are the main beneficiaries of the election goodies.

‘We’re united,’ says KDM lawyer

There is no disunity among the KadazanDusuns but what exists
are Barisan Nasional leaders who want to divide and rule.

KOTA KINABALU: Darell Leiking, a young Kadazandusun lawyer from Penampang, believes his community can be a force to be reckoned with in the coming general elections and an indication of this is coming from Barisan Nasional leaders who are worried the tide has turned against them ahead of the 13th general election.

“We are not disunited racially or religiously. We are united. Tagging the community as disunited because they do not see eye to eye in political ideology is a false notion,” said the man who wants to take his community in a new political direction.

Dr Jeffrey Urges Government to Restore Oil Rights

Jeffrey Kitingan claims the vesting order signed by
then prime minister Abdul Razak on March 26, 1975
granting ownership rights to Petronas is
unlawful, unconstitutional and nvalid.

“The Sabahgovernment need to take immediate actions to restore ownership rights of Sabah’s oil and gas resources as the legal opinion is that the vesting order signed by Tun Abdul Razak on 26 March 1975 granting ownership rights to Petronas is unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, Chairman of STAR Sabah at a press conference regarding proposed legal action on the vesting of Sabah’s oil and gas resources to Petronas.

As a re-collection, Tun Abdul Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, had on 26 March 1975 signed away Sabah’s oil and gas resources to Petronas by executing the Vesting Order under Section 2(2) of the Petroleum Development Act, 1974 and granted in perpetuity and conveyed to and vested in Petronas the ownership in and the exclusive rights, powers, liberties and privileges of exploring, exploiting, winning and obtaining petroleum whether lying onshore or offshore of Malaysia. 

Star: Petronas misses point – its ownership and responsibility

“Petronas is irresponsible and misses the point when it acted as if it is the sole custodian of Malaysia’s oil and gas resources.” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in response to Petronas’ statement that Petronas cannot afford to increase the cash payment to 20% to the oil-producing States as offered by Pakatan Rakyat.

The federal government is also irresponsible in using Petronas as its mouth-piece to reject the claims of the oil-producing states for increases in the cash payment from the current 5%.

The federal government and Petronashas totally ignored the fact that the oil and gas resources belonged to the states, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak, in the first place.  It did not belong to the federal government and definitely not Petronas.

Still keeping mum over SAS fiasco

But investors hope the isssue will be brought up at
today's sitting of the State Legislative Assembly.

KOTA KINABALU: “Just give me back my money. Don’t be irresponsible.” This is what Joseph would like to say to Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman if he ever meets him face to face.

The middle-aged father of six has been saying this for years with an air of resignation. But now, there is a faint hope he might get an answer when the State Legislative Assembly begins its sitting to unveil the next state budget.

Joseph is talking about his savings that he invested in the ill-fated Saham Amanah Sabah (SAS) trust fund that was launched by the Barisan Nasional state government in 1994.

Sabah, Sarawak excluded from oil panel?

An opposition MP raises this question in Parliament,
reminding the government Sabah was still one of the
poorest states despite being an oil producer.

KOTA KINABALU: Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui has questioned the exclusion of Sabah and Sarawak in the special committee set up to review the oil royalty for oil and gas producing states.

Chia posed the question during her Budget 2013 debate speech in Parliament recently when enquiring about the progress of the committee that had been quiet ever since Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced its setting up on Aug 22.

She said a review of the 5% oil royalty rate paid to Sabah was 36 years old and it was time it was reviewed since much in the country and the world had changed and the right to extract all oil and gas resources found within Sabah in perpetuity was unreasonable.

Potholes appear in coastal road plan

The premier's plan to build a new coastal road estimated to cost
RM1 billion has been panned by both pro-BN and opposition leaders.

KOTA KINABALU: The government’s plan to develop Sabah is beginning to take on the frantic air of a circus coming to town as the general election looms.

With more Sabahans questioning the snail-paced development of the state in contrast to the rest of the country, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak pledged to “look into” almost any state BN-representative’s proposal.

And one such proposal was to build a spanking new coastal road estimated to cost around RM1 billion to link Tuaran, Kota Marudu and Kudat to the state capital.

Why no party cares about the "bankrupts"?

By Fredoline Edwin Lojingki
PENAMPANG : As a veteran political activist, i wonder why the ruling government has failed to look into the welfare of 250,000 "bankrupts" in Malaysia.

In Sabah alone, there could be at least 30,000 bankrupts, including very young people.

It is very easy to be declared bankrupt in Malaysia and once a bankrupt it is the start of a very difficult years with a lot of limitations on what one could do to reclaim self-esteem.

Many are youngsters who have a lot of opportunities in their future.

40 tahun konflik antara Kerajaan Filipina-MILF tamat, PTI balik kampung cerah- Parti KITA

Ketua Penerangan Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah
Air (KITA) Sabah Mutang Dawat @ Sylvester

TENOM: Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (KITA) Sabah menyambut baik perdamaian konflik antara kerajaan Filipina dengan MILF (Manila Islamic Liberation Front) lebih 40 tahun kini telah berakhir dalam satu rundingan damai baru baru ini.

Ketua Penerangannya Mutang Dawat @ Sylvester berkata demikian dalam satu kenyataan disini pada Selasa ketika mengulas perdamaian itu diFilipina yang disifatkannya sangat positif bagi menamatkan isu kebanjiran pendatang asing tanpa izin (PTI) diSabah.

Perlu tumbangkan BN PRU-13 untuk selesaikan PTI dan kad pengenalan palsu, Dr Chong Eng Leong

Dr Chong Eng Leong

Oleh: Mail Mathew

KEMABONG: Rakyat diseluruh kawasan dinegeri ini digesa agar bertekad untuk menukarkan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) yang ditunjangi UMNO pada pilihanraya umum kali ke-13 (PRU-13) sebagai langkah terbaik menyelesaikan pelbagai masalah yang berisiko tinggi kerana bimbang ianya akan menggugat keselamatan dan kedaulatan negeri dan negara.

Aktivis Politik yang seorang Doktor Pakar Bedah Dr Chong Eng Leong berkata demikian ketika menyampaikan ceramah politiknya didalam program ceramah perdana anjuran Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Cabang Tenom dihadiri kira kira 1,000 orang di Kg Kalibatang pada jumaat lepas.