PETALING JAYA: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth chief Christoper Mandut says the party rejects attempts by political parties to disrupt the state’s peace and harmony.
In a thinly-veiled dig at Umno, PBS Youth chief Christoper Mandut claimed that a peninsula-based political party, which he described as “Malayan thugs”, had been disrespecting the Sabah government.
In a statement, Mandut accused the party of stealing Sabah’s resources and changing the state’s demographics during its “six decades in power”.
“During the party president’s recent visit to Kinabatangan, he showed some attempts to colonise Sabah by giving out ‘sweets’ to the people,” he said.
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During a visit to Kinabatangan last Thursday, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the federal government had been prioritising allocations to Sabah via the rural and regional development ministry’s agencies as well as through the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) and Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS).
In a Bernama report, Zahid, who is the rural and regional development minister, said RM1.49 billion, or 20% of the ministry’s RM7.43 billion development allocation under the Fourth Rolling Plan (RP4) of the 12th Malaysia Plan, had been allocated to Sabah.
Zahid, who is the Umno president, said he would apply for a budget increase specifically for Sabah next year.
He also talked about the millions of ringgit the ministry had spent to develop the Kinabatangan district through the implementation of various projects involving public facilities, communications infrastructure and rural utilities.
Currently, the GRS-led Sabah government comprises representatives from PBS, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Pakatan Harapan and a handful of Umno assemblymen.
While Umno and GRS are part of the current administration at the national level, ties have been strained at the state level following a failed coup attempt last year.
In January 2023, Sabah BN and Umno retracted their support for chief minister Hajiji Noor following attempts to oust him.
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