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KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Pakatan Harapan Plus (PH Plus) has admitted that, during its administration of the state, it was only fair and just to its coalition members and had not been considerate to the opposition.
United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said today that, during PH’s administration, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was not distributed equally to all MPs and assemblymen.
“I have to admit that PH Plus and myself included, were not empathetic enough of the opposition when we were in the federal and state governments.
“We started to offer the CDF to opposition reps, which was not done during Barisan Nasional’s administration.
“However, (at the time) we refused to treat our opposition colleagues as equals and did not give them an equitable share of the CDF. We held back some of the CDF to be managed by our party colleagues on various excuses.
“We were wrong. PH Plus must have the courage to admit its mistakes. We should have loved our neighbours, even if they are in different parties, like we love ourselves and colleagues in our parties,” he said in a statement.
Tangau, who is also Tuaran MP, also expressed admiration for Perak's new menteri besar, Datuk Saraani Mohamad, for his ground-breaking announcement on December 15 that the CDF will be distributed equally to all 59 state assemblymen, regardless of party affiliation.
“Saraani has shown Malaysians an invaluable and exemplary practice of multi-partisanship as a parting gift for the stormy year of 2020.
“I want to also register my highest respect for the wisdom of my PH colleagues in Perak led by the state's inaugural legislative opposition leader Abdul Aziz Bari for making this possible via the first confidence and supply agreement (CSA) in Malaysia.
“Umno and PH in Perak have shown Malaysians how politics can be professional and gentlemanly, that we politicians can rigorously compete and sincerely collaborate with each other like athletes demonstrating their great sportsmanship,” he said.
Tangau called upon Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and all menteris besar and chief ministers to emulate the model set in Perak.
He said, in this regard, the federal government ought to give the RM3.5 million allocated under the CDF equally to all 222 MPs, regardless of their party affiliation.
“I personally call upon my chief minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Md Noor, to distribute the CDF equitably to all state assemblymen and members of parliament in Sabah."
In Sabah, MPs are given CDFs by the state government while the opposition MPs get their CDFs from division heads, which in turn receive the money from the government.
“This practice is wrong and I urge Hajiji to correct it. Bersatu division chiefs do not need the CDF but opposition MPs need it to help their constituents.”
Tangau also called upon the menteris besar and chief ministers of Selangor, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Johor and Perlis to ensure the equitable distribution of the CDF as the new norm.
“On this auspicious day, I pray that, for next year, Malaysia will be blessed with empathy, compassion and fair politics.” – The Vibes, December 25, 2020
