Friday, November 16, 2012

Jeffrey's STAR Blows Hot And Cold

KOTA KINABALU: Has the State Reform Party (STAR) peaked too soon in Sabah? The party is seeing a slowdown in membership applications, it has failed to attract high profile former Barisan Nasional leaders who have quit the ruling coalition and its campaign is disjointed.

Tongues are wagging and party leader, maverick local politician Jeffrey Kitingan, is taking most of the flak. He is being blamed for being indecisive in the face manifold problems confronting the local opposition party that was formed 10 months ago.
Hints of despair in the party are surfacing and Kitingan who is no stranger to controversy may fall into a political abyss yet again by “refusing to listen to good and alert colleagues”, according to people with knowledge of the situation in the party.

Insiders say party leaders are worried local politicians such as independent MPs Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing who resigned from the ruling coalition three months ago, do not see STAR as a viable option.

While it is widely known that BN component parties like Umno, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut organisation (Upko) are experiencing a leak in their membership, the former BN parties’ supporters are shunning the local opposition parties for PKR.

The latest example is former Lahad Datu PBS strongman, Mohamadin Ketapi, who like Bumburing and Lajim, is known to have met Kitingan a few times but did not join the party.

STAR has a few Muslim leaders within its fold but their influence is limited. Despite the drawback, the party is not giving up its bid to contest in mainly Muslim areas for a bigger share of power in the 60-seat state assembly.

But the party may also have other organisational and management problems. While its financial status is unknown, PKR and even fellow local opposition party, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) are deemed to be in a better position in this area.

STAR’s two separate wings – youth and women – on the other hand are said to lack cohesion.

SAPP may get a free ride from Pakatan Rakyat in three Chinese dominated state seats – Likas which was once held by SAPP president Yong Teck Lee, Api-Api where Yong’s nemesis PBS Yee Moh Chai is incumbent and Luyang, where the party’s incumbent Melanie Chia remains popular.

STAR, on the other hand, remains unsettled as the 13th general election gets closer. It is sending out conflicting signals and giving “false hope” according to some within the party.

STAR’s leaders pessimistic

An insider who declined to be named discussing party matters said that one such example of “false hope” is in KadazanDusun area, Kuala Penyu. STAR has little hope of wresting the seat from PKR’s John Ghani, the probable opposition candidate.

Such is Ghani’s popularity in the constituency that he is reportedly being pursued by Sabah Umno.

STAR’s search for credible leaders who can pose a challenge is bogged down. Of its four deputy state chairmen, only Nicholas Guntobon, a young medical practitioner is certain to contest in Liawan, Keningau.

Another, Paul Voon is said to be hesitant, while outspoken Daniel John Jambun is said to be struggling to get his party’s endorsement for contesting in Inanam which is also being eyed by SAPP’s Sepanggar MP Eric Majimbun.

Jambun could also be good for the Sepanggar parliamentary seat but since Kitingan has agreed to the status quo with SAPP, his deputy chairman is in a fix. He may still go up against the SAPP candidate in Inanam but this would split the opposition vote.

Another deputy, Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari from Petagas, is said to be reluctant to stand in his own area as it has over 4,000 postal votes from the army base in Kem Lok Kawi.

Awang was initially said to be keen to be fielded in Sekong, Sandakan but later switched to nearby Kimanis parliamentary seat where the Kadazandusun population is fairly substantial.

However he may end up having to now wait and see what happens in the Muslim-Chinese state seat of Tanjong Aru adjacent to Petagas. But even here its a toss up as SAPP secretary-general Richard Yong is also said to be the favoured opposition candidate.

Leaders of STAR who recently returned from the party’s recent SWOT analysis meeting in Tambunan are pessimistic about the party’s direction.

They said that despite strong grassroots support, there are many issues the party has not addressed including on funds for advertising and media campaigns.

“We cannot be operating on free services. We need strategists. We must have our party organs. Even our website was only recently put up.

“STAR must wake up and harness the strength of support of Sabahans. We cannot be complacent. The problem is some are already over-confident of winning, but this could be a false hope as many are still fence-sitters,” said one leader who asked not to be identified.

In the end, it will be all up to the mercurial Kitingan, a Harvard University trained academic-turned-politician. What his colleagues in the party are worried about is that he may add credibility to saying that leaders only want to hear nice things about them.

By : CALVIN KABARON (sabahkini)

122 comments:
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  1. aku tak faham bahasa english tapi pandangan aku lah, kalau STAR letakkan calon dlm PRU nanti aku jangka tak ada satu kerusi pun yg akan menang di sabah dengan jefry sekali akan kalah teruk.

    sorilah..tapi apa yang kita dengar dan kita lihat tentang parti STAR ini jauh berbeza. penyokong memang ada tapi kalau menang kerusi, sangat mustahil.

    sebeb itu, STAR janganlah kacau daun kalau ada pertandingan satu lawan satu, itu yg paling baik.

    kalau STAR kacau juga, maknanya PR kempunan juga lah di sabah.

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  2. Kami seluruh rakyat malaysia sentiasa berdoa dan memberikan sokongan 100% kepada Pakatan Rakyat supaya dapat merampas Putrajaya daripada pemerintahan Korup Umno/BN. Ayuh! seluruh rakyat malaysia terjemahkannya dalam peti undi di PRU 13 nanti...

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  3. Star ni hnya bikin pecah undi di Sabah saja, Star rasanya takkan menang.

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  4. buat masa ini, dilihat penyokong Star hnya di kalangan kaum KDM saja, itupun tak ramai sangat, mmg sukar Star nak menang.

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  5. lagi byk parti pembangkang di Sabah akan memberi kelebihan kepada BN.

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  6. jeffrey lagi yang mempunyai rekod lompat parti paling manang, membuat rakyat kurang yakin dgn dia. tak mustahil dia akan melompat lagi lepas ini.

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  7. lebih 7 kali JK lompat parti..

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  8. Kalau kita lihat antara STAR dan PR rasanya baik pilih STAR daripada pilih PR. PR tidak perlu disokong di Sabah dan Sarawak.

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  9. Tapi STAR masih banyak kelemahan dalam pentadbiran tambahan lagi pemimpin yang tidak ada pendirian tetap. JK terkenal dengan raja katak di Sabah.

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  10. Setiap orang ada pilihan masing-masing. Jadi jangan terpedaya dengan permainan PR untuk menarik pengundi. PR cuma tahu memerangkap pengundi dengan berjanji bulan dan bintang.

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  11. Kerajaan BN yang ada sekarnag ini juga masih relevan untuk menjadi pilihan utama sebenarnya.

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  12. Jika kita lihat sejarah pemimpin STAR ini. President STAR sendiri pun adalah bekas ahli BN maka ini bermakna BN ini antara pilihan terbaik sebelum ini. Maka kita haruslah teruskan yang terbaik untuk Sabahan.

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  13. Pembangkang tidak akan mampu meraih undi di Sabah kerana rakyat mahukan GST dilaksanakan selepas PRU, rakyat Sabah mahu lebih ramai PATI dapat IC macam dua kes di Keningau yang baru dua tahun tinggal di Sabah terus dapat IC. Ini yang rakyat Sabah mahu. BN tatap manang!

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  14. Let see how far STAR can go in coming election.

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  15. Rakyat teguh bersama BN kerana hanya BN yang dipimpin Perdana Menteri Najib Tun Razak yang berjaya mengumpul hutang kerajaan yang kini mencecah RM538bilion. Tahniah Najib!

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  16. Anonymous said...November 17, 2012 11:39 AM

    Patutlah Najib laksanakan GST lepas PRU13 dan patutlah Idris Jala kata kalau tak laksana GST negara akan bangkrap!

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  17. PR semakin ke depan dan memberi cabaran giat kepada BN.

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  18. STAR dalam pimpinan Jeffrey akan mendatangkan kesan yang positif.

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  19. STAR dan PR harus mencari formula untuk bekerjasama.

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  20. Jeffrey terkenal dengan lompat parti. Harap-harap kali ini tidak mengecewakan.

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  21. WB and LU are not interested with STAR struggles.

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  22. Lajim tak boleh diharap. Tidak payah undi

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  23. hanya yg berada d akar umbi yg tahu sebenar kkuatan. jgn underestimate ttg STAR. kkuatan utama STAR ialah silence support. hidup STAR !

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  24. Sejarah tidak boleh diubah, dulu waktu PBS menang 'simple majoriti' mengalahkan USNO, kerajaaan tidak stabil kemudiannya jatuh. Ikhtibarnya STAR kenalah bekerjasama dengan PR supaya antara BN dan PR satu lawan satu di setiap kawasan DUN & Parlimen. Saya setuju dengan Yaslinda di atas STAR dan PR harus mencari fomula untuk bekerjasama.

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  25. Kalau mau menang kerjasama la. Kenapa ba itu PR tidak beri laluan parti2 tempatan bertanding di Sabah. Bagi saya PR & UMNO sama saja jajah Sabah dan Sarawak. PR lagi teruk. Kini UMNO (Malaya) hanya di Sabah. Kalau PR menang kompom Sabah dan Sarawak secara langsung ditakluk PR(Malaya). Janji tarang bulan. Dulu UMNO janji 100 hari miskin hapus di Sabah tapi tahun 2010 Sabah diistihar negeri termisikin di Malaysia. Wahai Sabah dan Sarawak sudah 49 tahun berlalu dan bergantung dengan orang/pihak lain..sudah la memerintah sendiri kan bagus. Pusat pemerintahan di KL jauh sangat ba. Kan ada Kota Kinabalu dan Kucing.

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  26. Luas Perlis = Luas Tambunan, Perlis ada 5 Parlimen & 15 DUN, peruntukan tahunan +- RM15juta. Tambunan 1/3 Perlimen & 1 DUN, peruntukan tahunan +-RM1juta saja. Patut la tidak nampak kemajuan. Projek yang dipohon oleh rakyat semua diluluskan tetapi tidak dapat dilaksanakan sebab tiada /tidak cukup peruntukan. Fikir2 kan la.

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  27. Tan Sri Simon mau bawa runding pun Anwar tak mo dgr. siapa lgi yg bole kasi nasihat anwar? anwar pandang rendah org sabah. memang pemimpin malaya brsikap begitu sejak awal.lihatlah bagaimana Tun Mustapha, Tu Fuad, Pairin,dll..dilayan !!! Sabah harus bangkit. hapuskan BN & PR dari sabah

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  28. kalau STAR pun tak nak PR pun tak nak!! senang-senang kasi naik PATI la.. ini akan menjamin masa depan di sabah... ni kali la...

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  29. kalau nampak saja lambang star dalam kertas undi jangan tengok lah,kita ingin mengubah polisi kerajaan malaysia supaya rakyaat sabah mendapat menafaat dari kerajaan yang akan dibentuk sebagai contohnya jika kita bercakap sabah untuk sabah,bagaiman dengan polisi kerajaan seperti sistem kabotaj,cukai perkhidmatan,bagaimana kita ingin meghapus atau mengkajinya jika kita bersendirian,kita ini mesti bergotong royong untuk menghapuskannya dan kalau parti star ingin bersendirian,biarkan lah mereka,parti star ini akan jadi macam parti abangnya diserawak SNAP dimana semua calun nya hilang deposit,kepada sesiapa yang ingin bertanding guna tiket parti star bagus simpan di ASB wang kamu,nanti inda dapat balik

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  30. siapa kata perlu persekutuan. DUN boleh laksanakan kuasa autonomi Sabah.

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  31. STAR takkan kemana. Dulu PBS keseorangan tp sampai kemana. Realitinya kita di sarawak dan Sabah perlu sokongan dr luar - Semenanjung untuk sama sama membangun. Idea BN bagus tp orng2 yg diamanahkan menyalahguna kuasa dan 49 tahun kita seolah2 dijajah. Kalau diambil kira kekayaan dua negeri ini balak dan minyak gas sepatutnya kita dah lama maju spt Negara Brunei darussalam.Jd mengapa kita jauh ketinggalan? Salah siapa ?Memandangkan perkara lep-as dah berlalu tak guna dikenang kita beri peluang PR memerintah. BN dah dibuktikan gagal dan sebagai negara demokrasi peluang patut diberi kepada PR untuk membuktikan mereka boleh mentadbir negara ini lebih baik dari mentadbiran BN.

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  32. STAR ini parti yang mengambil kesempatan sahaja...dengan mengambil isu 20 perkara sebagai isu utama...ia penting tapi, STAR mcm mau jadi ultraman dlm PRU ini. Lupakan star

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  33. kalau star pun tak diterma PR pun diterima baik sokong PATI ada harapan cerah masa depan sabah..

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  34. Pairin urged party members instead to focus on serving the people and to remain united

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  35. Najib's advice must have been mooted basically from his personal evaluation and assessment of Musa's amazing testimony as the State CM. PM urged Sabah BN to be loyal and work closely under CM Datuk Seri Musa Aman and not to be obsessed with positions

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  36. Gerakan confident BN will win in Likas. People should vote wisely in the coming general elections by giving their support to the Barisan Nasional candidate

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  37. Government programme is sincere in helping the people

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  38. PM advise act wisely and do not be easily influenced by the opposition’s agitation and lip service

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  39. Kerajaan ikhlas membantu rakyat.

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  40. Star tidak akan dapat membantu rakyat Sabah.

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  41. Pemimpin Str pemimpin yang tiada pendirian, jika Star tidak berjaya pada pRU ini, pasti beliau lompat parti lagi.

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  42. Sabah berkembang menjadi sebuah negeri yang maju, makmur, aman dan stabil menerusi pendekatan yang dilaksana kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN), kata Ketua Menteri Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

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  43. Musa berkata kerajaan negeri juga akan terus menyokong keperluan sekolah Cina termasuk dari segi pembiayaan.

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  44. He don't have to be worried.

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  45. I think the investigations done by MACC and ICAC have been thorough.

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  46. I think the investigations done by MACC and ICAC have been thorough.

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  47. God will lead your way.

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  48. Pakatan Rakyat leaders have not done anything about pledges they made during
    the 2008 general election, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

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  49. Dr Chua added many Pakatan representatives were nowhere to be seen after winning the seats.

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  50. The MCA can postpone their election which is due in March but it will have to amend its constitution before it can do so.

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  51. PKR will continue to lose public support, says Soi Lek

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  52. Musa: Sabah grown as a progressive state under BN

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  53. Musa said the state' s economic development has remained resilient and "as most of you know we now have a strong reserve. This is true.

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  54. In fact, what is happening now, is actually more on people say.

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  55. Dan jangan sesekali mempunyai hati nurani yang kotor.

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  56. I would say never make so much assumptions before you know it.

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  57. The Sabah Social Welfare Department and Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) have initiated the project by providing training for disabled workers.

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  58. Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs, Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun lauded the project saying that it would be a great help to the disabled but remaining in the job.

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  59. Sabah BN pasti boleh kalahkan parti nyamuk seperti Star Sabah.

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  60. Tak boleh percayakan parti yang diketuai oleh raja katak.

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  61. Bila-bila saja raja katak boleh lompat parti.

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  62. Jeffrey lompat parti setiap kali ada isu yang tidak memihak dengannya.

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  63. Tindakan lompat parti dalam sekelip mata ini menunjukkan bahawa beliau tidak bertanggungjawab dan tidak cukup teguh dengan pendirian.

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  64. The prime minister said the 13th general election would be the decisive point for the future of the country and the people should be able to judge for themselves the advantage of choosing BN over the opposition.

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  65. He said Parti Perikatan, later known as BN, had been ruling the country and making various changes and developments over the past 55 years.

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  66. The opposition just tried to take over power by offering false promises and spreading lies and mirage.

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  67. The options are clear. Whether to see our children, regardless of race and religion, laugh, grow up and enjoy their lives together or to see them grow up with burning hatred.

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  68. This general election will determine the future of the country which we will leave for our children

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  69. It’s whether to give them a fully-developed country built on common values and objectives, or an under-developed country blocked by an invisible wall of prejudice.

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  70. In one corner, there is a holy path which has been there since Independence and was built with blood and sweat of our patriots.

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  71. In another corner, there is a mazy and dark path built with lies and false promises of the opposition.

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  72. If the people were duped to choose the second path, believe me, this lovely country will disintegrate, collapse and sink,” he said.

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  73. Najib urged all Umno members to stay united to defend Putrajaya and stressed that the Malaysian people deserved only the best government that only Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) could offer.

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  74. Potential investors in Sabah have equal chance with their counterparts in the peninsula to the RM1 billion fund under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) aimed at promoting and creating new investments in the country.

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  75. Mida Deputy Chief Executive Officer 1, Datuk Azman Mahmud, however, said the fund is on a first-come basis.

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  76. "We have no specific allocation for any State and if more companies from Sabah were to apply for the fund and are eligible, then Sabah will get more," he said, at the Seminar on Investment Opportunities in High Growth Sectors in Sabah at the Pacific Sutera, Tuesday.

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  77. The fund is not limited to the aerospace industry alone but covers also industries such as furniture and renewable energy, among others.

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  78. "Our reason is to ensure that all Malaysian companies in every state apply the fund," he said.

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  79. Nevertheless, he said, the Sabah State Government has set up a special corridor by taking into consideration the regional perspective where Sabah's development level is different from other states especially if it is compared with the peninsula.

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  80. Hence, the reason why the Government has put in a lot of assistance and support in other areas not only incentive for investment but also in infrastructure development and education, among others, he said.

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  81. In Sabah, he said, among investments eligible are Kinabalu Gold Coast Enclave (KGCE), creative cluster, Integrated Livestock Valley (ILV), Sabah Agro-Industrial Precinct (SAIP), Lahad Datu Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC), Sabah Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP), Sandakan Education Hub and Marine Integrated Cluster.

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  82. "These are eligible for preferable incentive where regional perspective is taken into account in supporting the State of Sabah," he said.

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  83. The RM1 billion, Azman said has two parts, one is tax incentive and the second is fund.

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  84. The fund, he said, is to strengthen the operations of the respective industries. Its scope covers R&D, training and acquisition of technology regardless from foreign or domestic technology.

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  85. Chairman of Sabah Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Jay Rahman, said the fund is specifically designed to help Malaysian companies get into the global market.

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  86. He said the government is helping Malaysian companies acquire the technology and accreditation, market access and working with foreign partners so that they get into the global value chain.

    "That is the key focus," he stressed.

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  87. Prior to this, he said, even foreigners could apply for the fund but that after the Government decided to build the capacity of the local companies so that they get into the global supply chain.

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  88. Azman said the seminar is to promote investment to Sabah and also to update the business community in Sabah on the latest development and government programmes particularly the newly introduced incentives.

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  89. It is also to encourage Sabah companies to avail themselves to all these new and additional programmes introduced by the Federal Government so that they can benefit the initiatives.

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  90. "We are going around the country promoting this incentive and I urge all the companies in Sabah to really engage and study the details and scope of the fund and how to be eligible for the fund," he said.

    Some 200 participants took part in the one-day seminar.

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  91. Dompok, who is also Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, said, in this matter not only Upko members but all the people in this country, especially those in Sabah that have evidence must present it to the RCI.

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  92. “Do not keep saying that the RCI is slow acting and cannot address the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah in particular but step forward and help the RCI members to carry out the responsibility entrusted to them,” said the minister.

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  93. He said members of the RCI should be given time to enable them to make proper planning to address the problem of identity cards possessed by immigrants in the state.

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  94. Dompok reasoned that if people can wait for years for the RCI to be established, why can’t they wait for a few months or perhaps a year for results or responsibility from the RCI body.

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  95. Hence, he said, people should be grateful and patient besides providing an opportunity to the RCI to carry their investigations in more detail.

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  96. According to Dompok, many things must be taken into account in the RCI so that it can really achieve its objectives.

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  97. On the struggles of Upko in Barisan Nasional (BN), Dompok said, a lot that has been fought for and adopted by the BN.

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  98. This, he said, included the establishment of the RCI, the teaching of Kadazandusun language in schools and the Murut language has also been announced by the Prime Minister during a series of visits to this area recently.

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  99. Also speaking at the event was Upko Keningau Division Head, Datuk Justin Guka, and Organising Chairman, Datuk John Angian.

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  100. Academics and other opinion makers said to be close to Pakatan Rakyat praise the Prime Minister’s reformist credentials while questioning Pakatan’s readiness to rule the country.

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  101. A public forum at St Paul’s Church in Petaling Jaya that was organised by Kairos, a church based think tank, is making some waves because some of the forum speakers who are said to be close to Pakatan Rakyat had acknowledged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s reformist credentials while at the same time casting doubts on Pakatan’s readiness to rule the country.

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  102. Its proceedings were reported in the Malaysian Insider and other news websites and going by their reports the forum speakers, which included Singapore-based American academic Dr Bridget Welsh, were willing to give credit to Najib for reforms, including to get Umno to accept change.

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  103. They also faulted Pakatan with speakers noting its failure to form and announce a shadow Cabinet, whether the civil service would respond to it and its failure to resolve issues like hudud laws as shortcomings that impact on its readiness to rule.

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  104. Their leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has all but given up on his dreams of Putrajaya and is now focused on retaining Selangor.

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  105. The forum held under the general title New Political Activism and Realignment: Implications for Malaysia’s GE13 had as its speakers, (besides Dr Welsh) lawyer Andrew Khoo and Industrial Court chairman Lim Heng Seng with Dr Ng Kam Weng giving an introduction on Christian political concerns.

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  106. Dr Welsh said Najib “deserves credit” for the way he has pursued a reform agenda in the face of resistance to reforms from within Umno.

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  107. Everyone knows that Umno, founded in 1946 to defend Malays rights, is settled on its old ways but even such an established organisation is changing due to Najib pushing for reforms.

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  108. Najib should be credited for reforms although he runs great risk of alienating the Old Guard in the party and their resistance to reforms, said Dr Welsh who writes for Malaysiakini and is known for her anti-Barisan Nasional views.

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  109. Dr Welsh also said Umno’s resistance to reforms had contributed to its losses in the 2008 general election, and the next polls will be a test of its readiness to accept reforms.

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  110. Besides losing two-thirds majority in parliament, Barisan also lost Selangor, Penang and Kedah to the Pakatan coalition.It also lost Perak but retook it a year later when three Pakatan assemblymen defected.

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  111. The losses were the most serious in over 50 years of uninterrupted rule by the coalition and its predecessor, the Alliance.

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  112. Najib has been touring the nation since rallying the people for the big election battle ahead that he has described as a do-or-die for the coalition.

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  113. Equally committed is the Pakatan coalition with Anwar saying repeatedly that he is throwing everything into the battle and will retire to academia if he fails to wrest Putrajaya.

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  114. “Although they have a common policy in Buku Jingga,” lawyer Andrew Khoo said this at a public forum at St Paul’s Church in Petaling Jaya , “their inability or reluctance to form a shadow Cabinet has meant they are unable to articulate what their policy is going to be,” website thechoice.my quoted him.

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  115. The Buku Jingga is no substitute for a proper set of policies which can then be explained to the rakyat by its shadow ministers responsible for those portfolios.

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  116. They announced three “shadow ministers” for each portfolio in 2009 and after that the matter was dropped.

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  117. No mention is made of any shadow Cabinet precisely because Anwar is reluctant to be overshadowed by his “ministers”.

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  118. “I have my concerns. To me, the great tragedy of Malaysia would be if Pakatan won and then failed as a Government,” Khoo said.

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  119. On the question whether Pakatan was fit to govern in the event they captured Putrajaya, the speakers, reportedly, had varying opinions.

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  120. While Dr Welsh preferred to remain neutral, Khoo said he had his doubts over the coalition’s failure to announce a shadow Cabinet which “restricts their credibility” and the third speaker Lim said the voters should not be unduly concerned over the issue.

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  121. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  122. This is a change.It shows that Najib has arrived after a long haul that started in 2009 and academics and other opinion makers are beginning to take his actions seriously and give him due credit.

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