NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH

I have prepared this Memo of seven pages in conjunction with the Prime Minister's visit to Sabah on 7th April, 2008. So it is now an OPEN message to the nation.
Specifically, we have to address the following:-

1) The five development corridors with the Trillion Ringgit syndrome benefitting outsiders against the worsening prices hike to cause more poverty in domestic economy.
2) The proposed ministry for Sabah and Sarawak to address the disparities and gaps in the national scenario with a review on the fundamental grounds for the disparities namely the Malaysia Agreement.
3) NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH needs to address the fundamental of human beings in accordance with God.



4th Memorandum from Consumers' Association of Sabah & Labuan (CASH) -5 April 2008
NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH
Preambles.
This is the fourth MEMORANDUM to the Prime Minister since January 2007 as the first one - MEMORANDUM in support of corrective measures to tide over price hikes in Sabah January 2007 the second one - Memorandum to Prime Minister for serious actions in Sabah December 2007, the third one - Strong Malaysia loves Sabah January 2008,

1. Introduction
1.1 Consumers Association of Sabah & Labuan FT (CASH) would demand a NEW ORDER for the nation especially in Sabah after 51/45 years of independence. We have been asking the caring and genuine Governments - Federal and State in prompt addressing of the gaps and disparities in all areas of the nation vis-a-vis Sabah. Such gaps and disparities had been there since 1963 and Malaysia deemed to be peaceful, secure and prosperous by some Malaysians in the recent Barisan Nasional's manifesto needs a NEW ORDER to achieve that. The recent outcome of the General Elections 2008 speaks for itself with a loud message which some people have dubbed it a political tsunami - a setback for many but a watershed for a NEW ORDER that can only be sustained with a new system and new leaders.
1.2 We are awakened by several wake up calls - globally, regionally and locally in recent years even after Malaysia has considered herself with high flying slogan like Glory, Distinction and Excellence. Such slogan must be matched by things that are basic as we have found ourselves running away from the many calls to "go back to basic" in society. The devastating tsunami of Aceh touching Malaysia in December 2004 was soon after Malaysia had a landslide victory for the Barisan Nasional is not easy to be forgotten. What have we done when many voices on "back to basic" had not been heeded by the leaders? Without a NEW ORDER, all those slogans would remain elusive and deceptive. This NEW ORDER would need to embrace a range of changes in basic living spiritually, politically, socially, and mutually. The other major wake up calls after the 911 attack on the Twin Towers presented us with physical and economic terrorism in the likely struggle for a NEW ORDER in the world for which Malaysia is a very small unit. We now experience the worrying impact of the rising price of crude oil in the world market which itself is allowed to be dictated by some seen and unseen forces. Unless we address all the basic issues confronting Malaysia especially in Sabah, we cannot even dream of those slogans to be a successful nation in the context of globalisation.
2. NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH
2.1 In this NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH, we know our strengths and weaknesses of the nation and the State as we have dealt with most of them in our earlier three memorandums namely LAND & WORLD HERITAGE SITES, AGRICULTURE & FOODS SECURITY, CITY & MAJOR TOWNS DEVELOPMENTS, BASIC ITEMS ARE MISSING ITEMS, PRICE HIKES MEAN MORE POVERTY, FINANCES ALLOCATIONS ON PAPER STILL INADEQUATE.
2.2 THINGS BEYOND MATERIALISTIC ITEMS
NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH is basically nothing new when we have been blest abundantly in the past but we have without dispute mismanaged our orders of things so much so a God loving nation is falling apart. We cannot deceive ourselves any longer that we can go on as we had been doing for 51/45 years without a power paradigm shift in the way we conduct ourselves - spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally and socially. It is quite clear now that this NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH is a great move towards basic and basic things of life as the vivid message of General Elections 2008 as determined by the people who loves Malaysia. The desire of the voters was for a change even in rigged electoral process and like the tsunami of the Aceh, only a small part of Peninsula Malaysia was affected and yet the Government did try to address some of the damage control in case of future event of nature or God wanting to give us a divine message. Some corrective measures like the expensive Tsunami Alert System now installed and the replanting of mangrove areas is ongoing. There are still many environmental issues yet to be addressed properly and floods are a factor of environmental damage not easily avoided.

2.3 ESSENTIAL NON MATERIALISTIC THINGS
Some people may think that money can buy every thing include life thereafter as some people would have luxurious 'homes' below the surface of the earth. When Malaysians and the Government adopted an attitude to amend certain things post Tsunami of Aceh on 26th December 2004 as when some people sneeze loudly others are been disturbed or alerted, what should we now do for Malaysia and the world after our own political tsunami on 8th March 2008? NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH is an interesting direction for the world as we are being watched by others daily as we pursue our livelihood in Malaysia -truly Asia. Malaysia is not alone in this essential re-order of things non materialistic as we know what God has for us in Asia where more than half of the world's people of God on earth are residing. Of course there have been massive movements of changes in Asia - mostly thrust upon us - in recent decades of the modern world. The first and second world wars were global waves that had changed the lives of people in Asia. It was the deep conflict of the World War 2 in global discord that ended with the first ever mid air explosions of the two atomic bombs the worst unfortunate global event very hard to be erased from our generations. Had that incident change the orders of things in Asia and the world? Soon after that World War, China was taken over by the Communist Party with a reign till now after Japan failed in its earlier conquest of China. Who would imagine that Peking of China today is given the chance to host the massive popular World Premier sporting event - the Olympic - in the sixtieth year since 1949 while some quarters want to disrupt it? So the nations are still undergoing changes we do not really understand and ultimately it is under the order of God, our Creator.

2.4 NEW WORLD ORDER since World War 2
Incredible it may sound, it was after the World War 2, that many new nations on earth emerged and Malaysia is one of the hundred new nations. Would that be a reality if that war was not ended in the way it did in 1945? What would have happened to the world if Japan and her allies in Europe were in control of the world? Whether that new world order had brought good new things for the people of God, we are not that sure yet when what we see so many incredible developments globally and domestically. God is still speaking to us in many ways but few would hear them because of the consequences in the worldly pursuits once only for the millionaire wealth syndrome but now touching the billionaire realms (good for some but bad for most people). Malaysia may have enough for the needs of the people but not enough for the greed of some. Malaysia has recently boasted of the Trillion Ringgit trades deals with the world. We cannot dispute the fact that there is a reality that the world suffer in disparities and gaps of wealth, social responsibilities, and accountabilities resulting in abject poverty, oppression and under-privilege as very much prevalent today in several continents and Asia is not excepted.
2.5 MALAYSIA at the threshold of change
Malaysia got onto the wave of change (not political Tsunami for colonial powers) in the emergence of independent nations after the Second World War and Sabah is now in history as Sabah and Sarawak on the Borneo island separated by the South China sea decided possibly prematurely to form Malaysia with Singapore and Malaya when Brunei stayed her own. It was a great change with the vision of the best Malaysia for the world to see as the myth of Malaysia holding on for so long for 45 years is itself a record of sort.
In the wider perspective of time and change as inevitable, we are always on the move be it the mid air explosions or the tsunami, the signs of time cannot be treated lightly and the power of change would likely assume any direction like a river changes its course before we know it.
What kind of changes are likely in Malaysia and the fact that the Federal Government is at a simple majority aided by rigging must be the focus of any leaders to deal with this expected change spoken out by the voters at large fearing of what is next if no change was forthcoming.
2.5.1 Spirituality and Religions
There have been calls for changes in this global outlook in various diverse ways but people are largely still confused since the beginning of times at the Garden of Eden. Like everything else, spirituality and religions are inseparable but definitely a new definition of the defining nature of these items need to be given new enlightenment in a world many are groping in the dark. In Malaysia, we have been waking up daily to hear of some heart rending cases on spirituality and religions in conflicts in the courts, in the news, in the homes and on the ways to the last rites. On this very sensitive issues sort of related to politics as well, we do not really know how we would walk this journey of faith in God when it is acknowledged that there is only one God. Are we not torn apart in many ways in our short journeys on earth till we see our Creator? If we want to consider religions as the food for our spirits, then we are likely very wrong as our spirits in each one of us must be fed by the real spiritual food from God. Physical foods also from God are good for our well beings and his spiritual food are more essential in sustaining the spirit in us. While we have the choices to make in the physical items of foods, do we really have the choice to make in the nature of spiritual food which God says is His Word? We know our shortcoming in this respect in Malaysia where the Federal Constitution has its stipulation but Federal Constitution is not God in spiritual things, can it be so? Should not we hear this voice of change in NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH now?
3. NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH is fundamental
How do we judge our own performance in the context of the reality of the order of things? We do blame others and ourselves for the results. When we think we do very well in certain areas, it is still a comparative dimension in the global context and when we do a proper analysis we find ourselves no where near the best. It may be the ultimate thing to go to the space as a superior frontier as only three nations can boast of that with the space technology. Malaysia is indeed fortunate to be allowed to participate in the space programme of others but nothing much to boast about when the political party with the rocket symbol made it to the State Government after 43 years. Another irony of the mentality of some people is that when the nation is faring badly on certain counts, the leaders would point to the worst in the world as a comparison to find fleeting comfort. Without NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH, we may restrict ourselves to our own world of insignificance when our natural resources have fast depleted. We may know what hit us but we are unable to act or deliberate ignore such scenarios for some hidden agenda and then plea ignorance.
3.1 How smart are we?
Malaysia may have a string of SMART items like the SMART tunnel, SMART consumers, SMART technology and SMART people to deal with some of our challenges, but how smart are we really? We may be smart but there are plenty of smarter people out there. It is indeed good to promote such programmes but how smart we can be when we cannot be smarter than some and God is obvious the smartest as we believe our destiny lies in God.
3.2 How smart must we be?
We know some of us are very smart when we negotiated the deals in the formation of Malaysia when it was first proposed amongst five parties in the region - Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei. Then what happened in 1962, 1963 and 1965 were special events that cannot be denied were smart moves of some people, by some people and for some people. It was a success nonetheless according to the wishes of the people then. NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH would mean that we need to address the Malaysia Agreement and then we can consider ourselves really smart as we must be smart enough now after going through waves of reality in this independence challenge before us now.


4. NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH versus Malaysia Agreement
It is never too late to do such noble thing but it is too little we have done over the 45 years to ensue justice for Sabah and Sabahans be done in accordance to the sacred Malaysia Agreement which we believe is simply defined as the Malaysia Act in the Federal Constitution article 159A. We are not legal minds and therefore we need to have a proper review of the MA via various approaches mainly by a Royal Commission of Inquiry to bring back the sanity and sanctity of minds of the founders of Malaysia. In all sincerity, we walk this journey in Malaysia once and we have seen how the sacred Federal Constitution had been amended up to 700 times (someone to confirm this). It is quite incredible that such a sacred and noble instrument can be amended to be distorted with some gaining and other losing out in the deal of 1963. Would a heavily modified vehicle be really superior in all its applications when such modified vehicle would most likely be a killer on the roads?
4.1 Smart to be beneficial for all not in exploitation
We need to be smart and even smarter in most situations to be successful and even be relevant but it is futile to exploit others intentionally or otherwise as history has plenty of such scenarios. Why we may ask but God has the answer. We do not know how much violations have occurred with the Federal Constitution despite repeated denials to keep others smarter than others.
It is also a known perception that Sabah people are not smart and today we are sharing a land of bountiful once but now already largely ruined with outsiders who are not even citizens of Malaysia when Peninsula Malaysians and Sarawakians complained that they need to use passports to come to Sabah. Some of these regulations have been removed for Sarawakians to come to Sabah but we believe Sarawak has yet to do likewise for Sabahans going to Sarawak. So Sabah people must be smart now or to be doomed forever when illegal people are prominent in Government sectors and in development areas. Coming back to the violations of the Federal Constitution, we definitely need to have a Royal Commission to handle that whilst the obvious ones are the natural inhibitions or artificial restrictions on human nature, human desires and human views on the most important thing on spirituality as misguided by religions. There are simple distortions when the Federal constitution only provides for a Prime Minister and a Cabinet but we have a Deputy Prime Minister. The Federal Constitution is simply ignored when millions of illegal people are given genuine identity cards with the full knowledge of the socalled patriotic leaders of the nation. Slavery in Sabah is edging towards a reality in conflict with the Article 6 of the Federal Constitution but again overlooked by the authorities. Many things are also implemented outside the Federal Constitution. The nation is going to pay for this official blunder and the wake up call is likely found in the latest General Election 2008's verdict.
4.2 Referendum and Royal Commissions of Inquiry
CASH has been calling for several Royal Commissions of Inquiry on major challenges and issues facing Sabah and yet none had been instituted. With a Prime Minister (now another term) who has declared he has big ear to hear all calls, has he not heard enough only now that he may hear with the verdict on 8th March 2008. Let this verdict largely still denied and ignored by some people, be the strength of the Prime Minister and nation to deal with all the issues now. Even the seven annual reports of Human Rights Commission of Malaysia or (Suhakam) had yet to be debated in the strong Parliament of 50 years. We wonder whether we need to call for referendum every thing we demand for Royal Commission of Inquiry on issues of crisis dimension? We believe the verdict of 8th March 2008 should be deemed to be a move for change in the way we do national duties rather than "no further action" syndrome. Some may say the BN is still in power at the Federal levels but the BN has definitely lost the jewels of the nations in the hands of People Alliance when the performance of the Federal Government is a sum of all the activities of the people of all the states more so in key states like Selangor, Penang and Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur where the bulk of all activities occur. There is yet another problem brewing when the UMNO liaison head of Terengganu is in the hands of the former Menteri Besar as the Wang Ehsan of billions of Ringgit are channeled to UMNO rather than to the State Government. CASH expresses the desire that Royal Commissions of Inquiry be held in Sabah in various crucial matters such as Malaysia Agreement vis-a-vis Federal Constitution, the Project IC /Project Mahathir, Land, Electoral matters and others without the need of referendum. The dominance of BN in Sabah since 1994 is another issue to be addressed by itself.
4.3 International requests for assistance on crimes against humanity
In crimes against humanity, Joshua Y. C. Kong had submitted two detailed briefs of almost one thousand pages to the International Criminal Court at the Hague in August 2005 and September 2006 listing amongst other things the grievances we have in the Federation when lopsidedness in every thing is observed between the Peninsula and the Borneon States especially Sabah. CASH has also submitted a letter to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of nations in London urging intervention on the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement.
5. CONCLUSION
NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH is no doubt an effort not easy to be achieved immediately even if it is going back to basic but we must start now lest we become irrelevant in the world. No doubt, the oil producing countries at this point in time may be reaping huge profit at the expense of the consumers in strife. Malaysia is amongst the nations blest with oil but when oil can produce that kind of powerful fire and such fires are not easily doused - energy needs are good- the voters with the firepower and fear within them had this verdict for the foresight lest it is too late when the latest wake up for the nation come in the form of the very high price for the crude oil causing costs of living rising like a domino scenario. The oil has its blessing in its powerful fire and sometimes unlikely curses as well in the way we use the oil wealth. Many people are very worried as to how the world would be without oil for fuel and instead have turned to alternative source of fossil fuel in biofuel resulting in the spiraling of the costs of essential food items as climate change is a factor for the agriculture produces and products all depending on energy for production and distribution. Definitely, the desire for change of the voters as spoken out is not a flash in the pan, as we are fully aware of the reality in Malaysia in the wild chasing of the millionaire and billionaire syndrome by any means within the power that come with the voting trend in the past now broken once again since 1969.
The political scenario in Sabah is known since 1994 and the political fundamentals can be changed as developments in Peninsula Malaysia can be a beckon of change in Sabah.
Any changes in NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH must be not cosmetic to be meaningful so that this new inspiration of the people for the nation would not be perspiration for many as the world is watching closely on this region. Lets show the world Malaysia can do it in ways others can only dream of and that how sharing, caring and loving in this society of mutuality in common divine destiny as two oceans - Indian and Pacific - wash the shores of very small Malaysia as how many other nations on earth has that privilege of two oceans?

4th Memorandum from Consumers' Association of Sabah & Labuan (CASH)
NEW ORDER for Malaysia and SABAH



Prepared for CASH by Joshua Y. C. Kong 5th April, 2008

STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH

3rd Memorandum from Consumers' Association of Sabah & Labuan (CASH) -STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH
STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH January 2008
Preambles.
This is the third MEMORANDUM to the Prime Minister since January 2007 as the first one - MEMORANDUM in support of corrective measures to tide over price hikes in Sabah January 2007 and the second one - Memorandum to Prime Minister for serious actions in Sabah December 2007.

1. Introduction
1.1 Consumers Association of Sabah & Labuan FT (CASH) would very much like to see a STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH in prompt addressing of the gaps and disparities in all areas of the nation vis-a-vis Sabah. Such gaps and disparities had been there since 1963 and these were some of the reasons to be addressed with the formation of Malaysia apart from the British foreign policy in line with the expectations of the United Nations after the second world war. Most towns of North Borneo were destroyed during the World War 2 and the British had seventeen years 1946-1963 trying to rebuild the colony. Since then efforts to address the gaps and disparities had seen lots of shortcomings so much that Sabah is still lying at the bottom amongst the Malaysian States for some years now despite so much natural resources at the disposal of the new Government in Malaysia.
1.2 We are now in the mid term of Ninth Malaysia Plan and yet the glaring discrepancies in so many areas are still obvious so much so that UNDP confirms that poverty in Sabah is still worst in the nation. We know all the reasons for such undesirable development and the sincere political will to bring Sabah in line with the national standing is obviously lacking.

2. HOPES for STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH
2.1 However for STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH, we need to address all the strengths and weaknesses of the State so that the known challenges can be overcome with the resources we still have albeit depleted for the rainforests and the dwindling fossil oil.
2.2 Meanwhile, the strengths we have must be made stronger and productive to bring in the much needed wealth to develop the people and the land in holistic approaches and applications and they are as follows:-
2.2.1 LAND & WORLD HERITAGE SITES
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH we have plenty of usable land and several world heritage sites but maintenance is always a challenge while the proper usage of the agricultural lands for sustainable crops must be emphasized to enable long term productivity. We have seen the depleted rainforest as a natural environment of a green scenario now replaced by the alien oil palms can pose unknown consequences in a sort of artificial habitat due to global warming. Many rivers are exposed to the hazards of the by products of oil palms and the downstream activities. Would our world heritage sites be sustained in their pristine condition to keep the tourists happy when global warming and its impacts are unpredictable? When STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH is practised, we would expect more visitors - Malaysians and foreigners - to make increasing financial contributions to help develop Sabah.

2.2.2 AGRICULTURE & FOODS SECURITY
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH we would expect our agricultural produces be supported by the national policies when Sabah is quite safe from various animal husbandry diseases so that our produces are of international standards using the best practices and technologies available. When STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH must concentrate in its effort to inculcate the best quality in its food items namely sea foods, meats of all kinds and large range of fruits and vegetables, we must do away with the illegal harmful practices as our sources of foods for export and domestic consumption are regularly poisoned in a range of profit orientated approaches. STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH must take special care that there is food safety and food security in Sabah so that we can be dependent on our own efforts rather than import essential food items especially rice.
2.2.3 CITY & MAJOR TOWNS DEVELOPMENTS
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH, we must have balanced developments in the urban and rural areas to maintain a beautiful country with many prosperous cities and towns to service the hinterland for mutual benefits. Unfortunately, there is a scary development of a culture of 'lopsidedness' where neglect of towns prevails. In Sabah the major east coast towns are not developing as what we may see in Kota Kinabalu City. The damages arising from this culture are not only identified with land development in major town, but also in other unfavourable lopsided deals. The immediate gaps are observed for example in Sandakan once a busy town is almost 'dead' with known reasons but not addressed accordingly. Most urban areas in Sabah encounter drastic unhealthy demographic changes due to the presence of foreigners not properly addressed by the authorities.
2.2.4 BASIC ITEMS ARE MISSING ITEMS
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH we need to enjoy the comfort and the assurances of all the basic items of the nation as Malaysian leaders claim we are doing very well comparatively with many nations of the former British colonies. Such leaders may be promoting the Peninsula Malaysia especially some advanced States there to the world while Sabah go further backward. This cannot be tolerated any longer after 44 years when STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH must allow Sabah to be on par with the rest of the nation as a nation cannot be strong when Sabah is about a third of the nation in term of size and the second biggest state in Malaysia. In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH, when Sabah is left behind, where is the LOVE as in 1963?
2.2.5 PRICE HIKES MEAN MORE POVERTY
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH, we need to have the same prices in most items especially in basic essential ones so that we can boast about that like many nations do that. Not only that we have higher price differentials in controlled items in Sabah as compared within nation, the rates of increases in the last two years using the justification of fuel subsidy adjustments had been worst of course exacerbated by the costs pushed items imported from Peninsula Malaysia. Consumers in Sabah are really left helpless as we are paying for the spiral composite costs of all the underlying


price hikes in Peninsula Malaysia over in Sabah. Incredible it may sound, in STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH where Chapati - a foreign dish loved by Malaysians - had been with us for decades is being priced out in Labuan the birth place of Joshua Kong by price hikes in 2008. So we may lose the LOVE for a favoured dish in Sabah too for local and tourists alike. Unless we deal with the price hikes by the horn, we would be asking for more aggravated poverty related problems in Sabah still rich in fossil oil and palm oil. Where is the LOVE for Sabah in STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH?
2.2.6 FINANCES ALLOCATIONS ON PAPER STILL INADEQUATE
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH we need all the necessary funding to do justice for Sabah since 1963 for all the basic infrastructure, otherwise we cannot have a STRONG MALAYSIA. In the final analysis of the inadequate budgetary allocations since 1963, lopsided deals and poor delivery systems have brought about disadvantages aplenty precipitating the gaps and disparities - dreams of 1963 unresolved - to be now nightmares in Sabah. Money may heal the brokenhearted people for many but not for long in corrupted lands.
3. PROPOSALS FOR URGENT ACTIONS
3.1 CASH had submitted a wide range of issues and challenges in Sabah in the two earlier memorandums and we do not need to repeat them in STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH.
CASH have attended a great numbers of public functions and dialogues over all the pressing issues in Sabah for more than two decades, and we can now draw a good conclusion to resolve our problems getting bigger by the day.
Swelling social ills are bound to escalate in an environment where the foreigners and illegal people of Project IC or Project Mahathir have numbered more than the local genuine Sabahans/ Malaysians as they come from alien cultures.
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH this kind of environment should not be tolerated for too long as security and sovereignty is endangered and actions from the appropriate levels of authorities are evasive for known reasons.
Sadly in STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH the political will to resolve this critical crisis leading to a paralysis is not forthcoming and the impasse is attributable to the Federal and State Governments in a combination of inaction.
Beyond this impasse we have observed that in STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH scenario, there is a lack of political will to put the ugliness of Sabah mainly due to what we can attribute it to "Tsunami of Illegals & Illegalities" or TII where our past and present State leaders are outsiders (non genuine Sabahans and Malaysians) and foreigners (including PTI) since 1963. When these socalled leaders have ruined Sabah over the decades, some quarters would curse the Sabahans as the bad guys.
In this context of legitimate State Governments of such leaders and the foreigners dictating terms for Sabah, we must do justice for Sabah by exposing all those past and present leaders as to their originality by the presentation of birth certificates to clear the doubts. Isn't it an irony that you


have a beautiful home in 1963 and then other people just come in to ruin it in socalled democracy and independence and point their fingers back to the house owners? So in STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH, we must make a stand now that the legitimate State Government must be in the hands of the legitimate patriotic Sabahans as God has meant that to be.
3,2 Another pressing aspect is that in STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH, the unexpected scenario of foreign slaves prevail in Sabah as in conflict with the Article 4 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The foreign workers - legal or otherwise - have been exploited in all ways with the status of slaves and if allowed to be in Malaysia especially in Sabah (an imported burden of Philippines and Indonesia), the nation could be taken to task for Crimes against humanity. Why should STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH allow this contagion to be perpetuated in Sabah as it can impact the people of Sabah when Sabahans in the hundreds of thousands have to go elsewhere for survival as people from Peninsula Malaysia also bring their own kind to do their assignments - short and medium term - in Sabah depriving local people of opportunities. Should this practice be allowed to go on, it is not a surprise that the 'cursed' people of Sabah be in a land of self created slavery - unbeknown in past history in the Land Below the Wind.
3.3 Joshua Kong and CASH had lodged 21 Police Reports including a reminder for the period 2004-2007 worth a few Trillions Ringgit and since no further actions were observed it is essential that all those issues on land matters, citizenship under Project IC, wealth and resources depleted, corruption, abuses of power, electoral frauds, gangsterism and crimes be addressed under several Royal Commissions of Inquiry now. The list is attached per appendix A with notes.
3.4 The delivery system to uplift the development in the hinterland of Sabah go beyond the distribution of money and subsidies as the effectiveness of that must be monitored with the regular and consistent coordination of the guidelines with the target groups.
4. CONCLUSION
In STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH, we go back to the love story of Malaysia Agreement where Sabahans have the same destiny of Malaysia with free elections but regularly rigged when held as General Elections 2004 were known for frauds nationwide. So after 44 years, our dreams held on for too long for whatever reasons must be addressed to make LOVE Sabah a revived reality.


3rd Memorandum from Consumers' Association of Sabah & Labuan (CASH)
-STRONG MALAYSIA LOVES SABAH

Prepared for CASH by Joshua Y. C. Kong 13th January 2008
POLICE REPORTS of Joshua Kong (CASH) 2004-2007 Appendix A
1. Police Report on EPIC (Extra People IC) 28 October 2004 KK/rpt/23408/04
2. PR and ACA -The RM5 Billion water Malaise in Sabah 28 Oct 04 KK/RPT/23409/04 and ACA submitted on 15-3-04.
3. UMNO Sabah and its landed properties(USH) KK/rpt/27530/04 21 Dec 2004 **
4. UMNO Sabah and its membership (USKA) KK/rpt/27530/04 21 Dec 2004 **
5. Bank Negara & Ringgit Notes (BNRM) KK/rpt/27530/04 21 Dec 2004 **
6. Non Revenue Water (NRW) KK/rpt/27530/04 21 Dec 2004 **
7 . Petronas & Sabah (P&S) KK/rpt/27530/04 21 Dec 2004 **
8. Identity Cards -genuine and dubious in the hands of illegals under P1/P2 'Project Mahathir' Karamunsing Rpt/0227/06 21 June 06 (Jointly with President of Consumer Association of Sabah & Labuan FT (CASH) & Hashima Hasbullah of CASH)
9. On the conduct of the 11th National General Elections and 10th Sabah State General Elections- 21 March 2004 by the Election Commission (EC) K'sing/Rpt/10281/06 26 Dec 06
10. Land Issues in Sabah Karamunsing/002428/07 14 February 2007
11. Our security and sovereignty K'sing/ 003948/07 16 March 2007.(Jointly with President and Secretary General of CASH)
12. A gangster SOH See Yee@Gary Su/Soo Luyang/002101/07 15 June 2007
13. Datuk Dr. Hj Patawari bin Hj Patawe (questioned identity) Nric 571227-12-5051/H6008708/ 571227-71-5051 K'sing/008725/07 15 June, 2007
14. EPIC OF SABAH -some VIPs K'sing/010000/07 07/07/2007 %%.
15. Sabah wealth as near gone K'sing/010000/07 07/07/2007 %%
16. EC=Electoral Corrections (electoral frauds GE 2004) K'sing/011997/07 10/08/2007
17. Close down SESB - [frauds in billions] K'sing/015944/07 19/10/07.
18. Daily Express & Mr. Kassim Sangi (criminal injustice) Luyang/003634/07 19/10/07
19. Foreign Banks Accounts (corruption?) Luyang/004218/07 10/12/07
20. UK Arms deal with M'sia (corruption) Luyang/004222/07 10/12/07
21. Report on 18 Police Reports (Reminder) Luyang/004222/07 10/12/07

I have also lodged Report to Suhakam and Biro Pengaduan Awam for the outcome if any of those Police Reports.

NB: ** five items in one Police Report; %% two items in one Police Report.
These Police reports as supported by about 500 pages are filled with items of Tsunami of Illegals & Illegalities (TII).

These Police Reports are not anti Government but I am anti ILLEGAL Federal &
State Governments as illustrated in two reports on Election Commissions on General Election 2004 (item 9 and 16) plus the latest book "A case of victory - landslide or rigslide' ISBN978-983-2653-31-8. I have written to the Election Commission, Sabah and Head Quarter in Putrajaya on 29 October, 2007 and the attached book "A Case of Victory- landslide or rigslide" which included the two Police Reports on GE 2004.

These Police Reports when acted on appropriately are worth many Trillions of Ringgit if we want to put a value to them.

Only items 8 and 18 had seen some investigations carried out by the Police concerned but the results of such investigations are still awaited. I hope the Police Reports lodged in 2007 are still in your e-archive.

The 21 Police Reports together with all supporting documents add up to almost a thousand pages of A4 papers.


The latest report submitted by Joshua Y. C. Kong 21 January 2008


NB: as at 31-12-2008 there were 26 Police Reports.

Memoto P M for serious actions in Sabah

Memorandum to Prime Minister for serious actions in Sabah

Introduction
Consumers Association of Sabah & Labuan FT (CASH) is very concerned about our general well being in Sabah and Labuan further aggravated by the recent price hikes due mainly to the unexpected abnormal fuel subsidies adjustments within a few years following the rising world market price of crude oil in recent years. The drastic upward fuel adjustment costs mean that imported manufactured goods from the Peninsula Malaysia have undergone across the board rises of up to double the previous level prior to that fuel adjustment. The tolls hike in Peninsula Malaysia has also inevitably impact the adverse price increases of manufactured goods and services from there.
Economy in Sabah & crippling price hike
The situation in Sabah has become worst off when the retention of our domestic economy within Sabah is rather weak as wealth generated in Sabah have been siphoned off elsewhere.
While substantial Sabahans are struggling with their restricted income from the private sector as employees and small business operators in a diminishing economy, the employees in the Civil service had been given hefty rise in 2007 resulting in the general increases in many goods especially basic necessary daily items. Despite price control enforced, goods and services continue to be affected by costs pushed price rises. Sabah does not have major employers in the private sector who can afford to pay matching salaries increments to catch up with the price hikes of most goods. Hence such workers are forced to survive on old salaries levels.
There are also other several groups on low income who are under employed, students, farmers and retired workers in the private sectors without pension and dwindling savings without land in the urban areas. The contribution - past and present - of such groups of people cannot be taken for granted or ignored when times are difficult to make ends meet. Malnutrition and lack of adequate essential food items can present a different set of health problems for such people over a long period of time. Government needs to address such scenarios before permanent damages occur.
Despite pay rises for the civil servants recently, the delivery is still fall short of expectation to the consumers as it would appear money incentives via official pay rise would not be adequate motivation to improve in their public service instantly for known weaknesses. We may have first class infrastructure in many areas but some areas are very much lacking in even basic essential items. In some areas, we have observed that third class mentality have failed the consumers in the delivery system.
We have also observed that those Government concerns involved with monopoly activities are charging the public at rates of unreasonable increases in recent years. Many Government departments and their agencies are tempted to charge such high rates as the Government is switching over to e-Government hence consumers are forced to pay up for such essential services.
While the whole nation is loaded with much disparities in many spheres of activities, such wide disparities unless addressed accordingly are hindering real national development on an equal footing. There are regional disparities within the Peninsula Malaysia as only a few states are economically capable while other states there had been given much financial attention but remain backward. Migration of workers for jobs in few economic capable states is one of the reasons for seasonal travels of 'balik kampong' when costly road accidents and deaths are very high.
There is known disparities in economic and social activities within the nation vis-a-vis Peninsula Malaysia and the Borneo States. Sabah only got its first full national University in 1994 after more than 30 years of independence and even this varsity benefit all students in Malaysia. Many Sabahans still have to leave home for education in other national universities and overseas. Many educated Sabahans are dispersed throughout the world resulting in brain drain as local opportunities are given to many foreigners of unknown quality. Sabah deserves special attention.
CASH would like to draw your special attention in the following fundamental areas namely:-
Security & Sovereignty
1 We know that over the years since independence, genuine local people are declining by migrating elsewhere in pursuit of jobs and opportunities while outsiders including illegal immigrants are encouraged to come to Sabah and given genuine identity cards so much so that dubious citizens (extra people IC or EPIC) have outnumbered the local people. We have submitted to the DYMM YDP Agong and the Prime Minister for a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the illegal people in Sabah in January 2007 after lodging a Police Report on the Project IC /Project Mahathir in June 2006, but we have yet to hear of the action of that. We have also lodged a Police Report on the security & sovereignty of Sabah in February 2007 over the much neglected Claim on Sabah by Manila when there is no justification of that claim.
Basic infrastructure
By moving around Sabah, we have observed that for 44 years, our basic infrastructure in all 60 State constituencies of the 25 Parliamentary areas are still lacking for the people despite claims of much financial allocations especially since 1994. Many rural areas still have to rely on the candles for the light at night while water, education, health facilities, and roads are in need of much desired upgrading.
Elected Representatives
From our survey, all elected representatives have failed in their election promises likely for the sole reason that they do not need to perform and yet to be elected again taking advantage of the bias machinery, money, media and the illegal people or dubious citizens to remain in power. Amongst the 18 Police Reports worth a few Trillions Ringgit, Joshua Kong has lodged two Police Reports on the General Election 2004 as extended to the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) and the Election Commission (EC) over the rigged election in the nation. Joshua Kong has also written a book " A case of victory- landslide or rigslide" on the GE 2004 with analysis of the official results of the Government Gazette on that. We need to address the quality of these elected representatives (past & present) in their involvement in corruption, illegalities and abuses of power when such people are of dubious origin and so the presentation of birth certificates is desirable as one of the basic reasons for them to continue their offices.


Key senior Government & Public Servants
Since independence, Sabah has been dominated by the rule of outsiders and foreigners to the degradation of the State as we now realise that such people have been unpatriotic in their dealing with the interests and poor attitudes in managing the State and unsatisfied and irresponsible performances are blamed on the genuine local people. The minimum effort that we can do now is to address this anomaly by holding a Royal Commission of Inquiry in conjunction of the same on the Project IC. Meanwhile all key Government appointees be required to present their birth certificates to clear beyond doubt the originality of the important people given the responsibility to handle local interests. It is great injustice for illegal people or dubious citizens to make the lopsided decisions for the State as dubbed as Tsunami of Illegals & Illegalities.
Wealth & resources
We have to be reminded that our wealth and natural resources are dwindling fast for the past few decades and there are enough unresolved land issues to worry the local people. While the oil palm plantations are owned by outsiders as much as 85% and the bulk of the workers in these plantations are foreigners, Sabah continues to face the massive financial leakage.
The fear now before the nation and in particular Sabah is that when such State wealth as lost not easily re-generable, we may face tremendous hardship when the challenges and threats are aplenty. Sabah does not have much valuable financial investments to fall back on in times of needs to tackle our basic needs including imported foods especially rice.
Crimes against humanity in Sabah
It is unfortunate that due to various conflicts in Sabah, we have ourselves to blame for this mismanagement of our affairs in Sabah vis-a-vis Malaysia that the Government has on purpose and neglect committed crimes against humanity in Sabah in two counts namely ethnic cleansing and undeclared apartheid.
Ethnic Cleansing
In reality ethnic cleansing has occurred when the illegal people including dubious citizens have outnumbered the genuine local people by simply displacement of the local people with outsiders when the percentage of the Muslim people had risen from about 30% in 1963 to 60% in 2000. Normal conversion is too small to effect that sharp rising trend and that abnormal trend is the illegal 'import' of EPIC or unjustified quality and quantity of cultural inferior people to warrant the classification in the occurrence of ethnic cleansing without the need to compare our scenario with that of the irreversible Bosnia and elsewhere where killings took place. Sabah is on the threshold of the worst as far as crimes of all sort unheard of in the years prior to 1963. The diagnosis of paralysis of crisis arising on the ethnic cleansing is not disputable. We need to deal with that when the impotent sitting Governments (Federal & State) always turns blind eyes and deaf ears on this existence of this crime against the local people even when the cries for justice for Sabah were so loud since 2006. The impression of the Government is that it is too late for them to deal with.

Undeclared Apartheid
The other twin evil of the crimes against humanity is unfortunate for Sabah is the undeclared apartheid when the substance of that is obvious in the system of New Economic Policy (expired yet extended) bias for the race and religion as far as bumiputra is concerned. In Sabah it is a mixture of lopsided politics of cronyism where a small group have taken much advantage of NEP when several native groups are not considered bumiputra in the implementation of NEP policies. It is further aggravated by the fact that outsiders including illegal people or dubious citizens have been accorded the status of bumiputra by virtue of possession of questioned identity cards under project IC. The undeclared apartheid has taken its tolls on the local people of non Muslims in all areas of activities with the most noticeable development that the Civil service and the Government linked companies is dominated by a single group.
Conclusion
CASH would like to share the good news around Sabah but it is impossible in this kind of background when the widening gaps are aplenty vis-a-vis the nation and the sub-regions within Sabah as the implications of 50/44 years are worrying as far as the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as 1 in 4 rather than 1 in 13 in 1963 in the context of nationhood of Malaya and Malaysia as separate entities unlike United States of America as enlarged over the years after formation. The elaborate negotiations and the Malaysia Agreement just prior to 1963 bear testimony to separate entities.
We need to manage the gaps and disparities rather than sweep them under the deception that everything is alright when it is not so. Complacency and indifference are human weaknesses in any system and the worst would prevail when the bias system that is not working for 50/44 years in Malaya/Malaysia with so much expectations in 1963 must be over vamped. When cancer is the diagnosis, we are very likely to proceed to the funeral despite massive treatments. When a rotten system in diagnosed, a prescription of a changed new system is inevitable. Some may want to compare with the worse scenarios in other nations to justify our mismanagement just like the latest uncalled for comparison with Bosnia and others in allegation of ethnic cleansing. Malaysia was a party in the fight against the declared apartheid in South Africa and was jubilant when that evil was removed. Yet sadly, we have a similar undeclared devastating system in Malaysia in the very short history of nationhood.
In the era of globalisation and in the intense global competitive atmosphere, we need to instal a new system to move forward with new people at the helm. We want to achieve excellence, distinction and glory (gemilang, terbilang and cemerlang) and let this vision be handled by a new fundamental system of several races and various religions in a mixed ethnic society. A prime minister with a big ear must be seen to be listening and then walk the talk in line with tell me the truth even when the truth hurts. We want to work with a prime minister who is capable to adopt the best practices available (a separate memorandum) to reap the benefits for all for common good.
Prepared for CASH by Joshua Y. C. Kong, Deputy President of CASH - Kota Kinabalu 3rd December, 2007

Memo to the Federal Minister of Transport -

Memorandum to the Federal Minister of Transport -


Mass Commuter Transport Sabah. (MCTS)
by Consumers' Association of Sabah & Labuan FT. (CASH)8th August 2008
1. INTRODUCTION
Sabah with a land area of 73,711 sq km is comparable large in Malaysia as the second largest state in Malaysia. In term of quality transport by roads and other means, it is almost the worst one in the nation. The hinterland of Sabah largely agriculture, idle land and reserves has very poor and inadequate roads. Air transport within Sabah is also comparative inadequate given the costs of such form of transport.

In all the urban and suburban areas around all the major towns in Sabah, public transport has been neglected for decades. Except for a few limited unreliable services of some stage bus and some mini bus companies, mass commuter transport is non existent.

2. DEMAND & SUPPLY
The demand and supply is an important factor in the implementation of mass commuter transportation while the bus services would be retained as urban roads are fairly well connected especially in Kota Kinabalu. The network of mass commuter transportation is dependent of the available land in the urban areas for maximum benefit to link them to the suburban areas where the people reside.
2.1 DEMAND
Apart from Kota Kinabalu, there may be other towns in need of mass commuter transportation. In this memorandum, we would like to deal especially for Kota Kinabalu for its urgent needs of mass commuter transportation for people and some form of limited transportation of goods.

Kota Kinabalu city's development have extended into the suburban areas of about 20 miles radius hence more people in the city needs to commute more and to a wider area. The traffic on the roads within the city and some roads in the suburban areas are quite heavy at times especially during peak hours -three times daily in the working days.

When the city was quite congested with vehicles in the early 1990s, the Government decided to implement the flyovers in Kota Kinabalu. Due to the traffic congestion and parking problems, and the rising rents of the city premises hence costly to do business in the central business district (CBD), many suburban town centres were built in the last ten years that attracted many businesses to move out of the CBD and its immediate peripheral areas. Now we have many commercial areas situated within the radius of ten miles and many residential areas are being developed in areas around such suburban commercial districts. With a much bigger developed areas for business and residence, there is a greater need that such areas of activities are well connected by an economical and efficient network of public transport.

2.2 SUPPLY
The supply for such demand of mass commuter transportation (MCT) cannot be left to the private sector alone for various reasons. A good reliable mass commuter transportation network in Kota Kinabalu would be in need of much capital expenditure and the returns from such investment are uncertain depending on the disposable income of the working class as Sabah generally lacks a domestic economy.
So the Federal Government must provide the impetus to build a network of mass commuter transport while the proper bus services need to be expanded to cover a wider areas in Kota Kinabalu.

3. IMPLEMENTATION
This proposed project MCT would be a substantial item in the local economy but it would depend on how it is to be implemented.
3.1. Method
3.1.1 If it is a privatised project modeled on other similar projects either partly or wholly financed by the Federal Government, we do not know how it would benefit the people of Sabah with its spin off if most of the inputs would come from elsewhere. When such MCT is completed largely with outside inputs, the project would likely be managed by an outside company with high fares for the commuters when the local people may not afford to use it. We have seen enough of such scenario in Sabah when projects do not benefit the local people significantly from the start to the completion.
3.1.2 As a departure from a 'political' project under a privatised concept or build and operate the project for a long period by a company, it is recommended that Non Government Organisations be given a role to play at all levels of the project including the operation of the project on completion. This would enable the project to succeed as monopoly can work against consumers.

4. CONCLUSION
We know there is an urgent need for such a mass commuter system in Kota Kinabalu as soon as possible as the crude fuel can reach US$300 per barrel soon and when Malaysia is a net importer of fuel. By then most people would not afford personal cars and of course the other choices could be the buses be the alternate option while the bicycles and animal carts would appear on the roads. We know it is essential to have efficient public transport to boost mobility for productivity in economic maintenance for a much bigger population. If funding is a problem for this urgent implementation of this proposal of MCT, we need access to Petronas money. This MCT is the best option to soften the adverse impact of Food and Fuel Prices Upheaval rather than cash subsidies while we still the fossil oil revenue.


Prepared by Joshua Kong for CASH. 8th August 2008

DONATION for CASH

Donation to Cosumers' Association of Sabah & Labuan FT [CASH]

We are to fight for a better standard of living for people.

Support us with sincere and generous donation for a common cause.

Donation can be made by:-

1) Bank Draft / Cheques

Kindly mail to us your donation with bank draft or cheque, payable to “Consumers' Association of Sabah and FT Labuan [CASH] and Mail to

P. O. Box 11923, 88821 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

2) Bank Transfer

Donation can be made by direct bank in to our account,



Alliance Bank, Damai Branch - Branch code 12-10093

Current Account Name: Joshua Kong Yun Chee

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Joshua Kong is the Chairman of Fund Raising Board of CASH.

Would the illegal Governments do anything?

Nothing had been seen to have been done as usual
with many critical issues in Sabah.

We have also forwarded these memorandums to several
political parties.


So what are we waiting for?

The Governments (Federal & State) are likely to be
illegal due to the rigging in GE 2004 and GE 2008
and earlier ones. But 5 State Governments formed
in 2008 after the GE 2008 also rigged can be stronger in
the hands of PR or Pakatan Rakyat if not rigged by EC.

The chance that future General elections be rigged
is obvious to be repeated.


Joshua Kong

CASH's 1st Memo to Malaysian Government

MEMORANDUM in support of corrective measures to tide over price hikes in Sabah

Section I. The reason
CASH considers this as part and parcel of the monitoring of prices in particular and consumerism in general.
A long way to today that there are very good reasons to demonstrate our concern on the recent increases in the general price levels in Sabah. We need to address the factors as listed in section that have silently push us into a price 'anarchy'.
Serious and depressing indeed, a child of 12 years old in Sarawak hanged himself for failing to go to school due to lack of money in January 2007. Not to be ignored, the nation should grief for this loss.
Just as we enter 2007, there are prices increases waiting to be announced.
As we are all aware that 2006 had been a difficult year for many due mainly to the fuel increases as a way to offset the fuel subsidy twice as the Government policy to reduce the subsidy to zero. While it may be reasonable to deter smuggling of comparative cheaper fuel in Malaysia due to the subsidy, the impact of the double adjustments had affected many people especially those poor people in the employment sectors throughout Sabah.
We could see the general increases in the imported items including essential food items from Peninsula Malaysia in the supermarkets during 2006. Basic daily essential food items like plain fried mee and the like also were more expensive.
Many people and consumers are complaining about the hardship to make ends meet. Unless the Government deal with the woes faced by various groups with increasing intensity, the livelihood and the standards of living on such people would be worsening.
Meanwhile there is still the unending ding dong of state and federal affairs over the common destiny of the nation, and so we are beseiged by rising prices in recent years.
With this effort we hope that we can really address our common problems to bring reliefs to many in a declared caring and sharing society although we observe much divide and rule syndrome.






Section II Who are the people affected?
The following are likely groups to be adversely affected:-
1) The big young families with the father as the main bread earner.
2) The landless and non home owners who have to pay rent as a substantial portions of their fixed income as wage earners.
3) Those with substantial mortgages and car loans to be serviced.
4) Those single mothers or fathers with small families to care for.
5) Those elderly people with or without adult children with or without pensions.
6) Those with ill health or other disabilities (birth or accidents) and/or unable to work fulltime.
7) Those victims of natural disasters, retrenchment and failed businesses.
While the list can go on, such unfortunate and helpless people have been enduring hardship over the recent years and we must be proactive in addressing their needs now lest the people degenerate healthwise and irrecoverable.

Section III The Crux of the crisis in Sabah
We have a lot of contributing factors in Sabah in recent years (next section), but the crisis of price increases across the board with a multiplying adverse impact on the disposal income of substantial number of people in a siege in Sabah.
The inter related scenario would certainly have a dampening impact on consumption including basic essentials to maintain minimum health avoiding mal nutrition. The traders may pass on the price increases on the raw materials and purchases to the consumers. The consumers of fixed incomes may have to incur more to meet daily necessities and this would have a cumulative effect on the disposable incomes. Then it would reach a point that employees on fixed income would be desperate for substantial pay rise to make ends meet. Such appropriate pay rises would not be forthcoming as employers may find it hard to oblige accordingly. Even if the employers were to give adequate raise for the employees, the spiral impact with more price increases are inevitable. Sorting out such dilemmas arising from Government policies as implemented would need some 'softening measures' to avert more consequential economic and social implications of hardship in a declining economy in Sabah when the population trend had been unusual.






Section IV Factors leading to the present scenario
Inevitable that we have arrived to the present scenarios due to the following factors including deceptive economy and wealth flight in Sabah:-

1) Timber Era
While the timber era is gone for more than a decade, the price levels are still pegged to that tradition. Actually price levels of several major components of cost of living had increased rather than declined. There are new items of components of costs in major urban areas like high parking charges. Generally prices of many items once at high level or increased over the years, do not come down even without the timber economy.

2) Plantations
Eighty five percent of the oil palms plantation are owned by Peninsula Malaysians and the same percent of the workers in these estates are foreigners including illegal people exploited by the employers. Much of these financial returns attributable to Sabah are not retained here. There are also several major downsides including ecological considerations with excessive alien oil palm plantations in Sabah.

3) Infrastructure
The lack of adequate infrastructure in the quality in a large State as Sabah with a large hinterland make marketing of local produce handicapped. Even basic infrastructure features are destroyed by natural disasters and excessive usage of heavy logging vehicles while maintenance has been poor. This has artficially contributed to the costs of doing business with the poor accessibility of the rural areas. In the era of ICT, there appears to be much prohibition of such facilities in both the urban and rural areas in Sabah.

4) Revenue from levies and penalties
Without knowing the details of such sources of revenue arising from Sabah, it is still deemed appropriate to acknowledge that such items are not part of good sustainable business activities. Levies are derived from various sources with the main one coming from the foreign work force recruited from the neighbouring countries. The levies from foreign work force estimated to be in billions of Ringgit are believed to be pooled into the national coffer and diverted to funding non relevant projects. So this may defeat the purpose of raising such levies which is not a long term productive activity. Similarly penalties are derived from many known and unknown sources and all incorporated into the general revenue of the nation. Again how such funds so derived and used in national development need to be questioned. Levies and penalties are not part and parcel of any positive features of development of the nation. We should not expect that the country can be competitive with others if a substantial level of revenue is derived from levies and penalties - unhealthy sources. Do we know the trend of such levies and penalties in recent years? Do we resolve our deep rooted problems with such methods? We know that penalties for traffic offences have been steep and yet there is no improvement in the trend of such offences. Similarly other accelerated penalties show be examined vis-a-vis the level of offence thereof. The prisons are more congested in recent years not proportional to the increase of population nationwide. We may have to review this in the context of corruption and power abuses in the nation. Without any concerted effort, we cannot arrest such helplessness or doom. We should address the philosphy of these two items seriously by all sectors to enhance the dignity of the citizens and the quality of life in the Malaysian system.

5) Enforcement pressure
Much energies and time of the business and professional fraternity are diverted to attend to enforcement explosion in Sabah by various regulatory Government departments, agencies and statutory bodies. While the good intention of educational perspective may be lauded, the resultant benefits may be negative in the context of the productivity of the wealth creation by the relevant groups of people. There may be over reaction to certain developments elsewhere, that excessive, lopsided and costly regulatory measures are implemented with exhaustive impact on some groups of wealth contributors.

6) Education and training.
Ask any professional firms, we may know how the business communities have to tolerate the level of education as far as skills and understanding in languages both written and spoken for the non graduates. With good understanding of the languages, then such people can be trained easier. The lesser investment of staff in the cost of training especially after adequate basic education would be translated into lesser cost of doing business. Critical review is essential in this sector.

7) Lopsided deals, abuse of power and corruption.
Is this the hallmark of a large superfluous civil servant work force? We all know the impact of lopsides deals, abuse of power and corruption at all levels from top including the chief executive of the Government (Federal and State) to the lowest levels because of the temptations. A culture hard to be scrapped, a reason to perpetrate in competition seen and unseen amongst them, such ways would add up to costs of production and business ventures. Maybe it is also not right to have price controls on basic items for too long as such price controls have been abused in many ways including monopolistic practices. You can count the cost for all consumers when the monopolistic entity flexes its muscle. In a system loaded with biased approaches, it is quite difficult and costly to dislodge any monopolistic practices.

8) Climatic consideration
The intolerable rise in temperature and resultant climatic change are exposing the toll on the people in Sabah as it is not conducive to effective working condition. With the drastic change of natural landscape of rainforest in Sabah and beyond, we are struggling with nature and natural disasters can be excessively impossible and costly. While it was climatic consideration that brought the downfall of Tang Dynasty in China, Johore with the highest oil palm plantation after Sabah can be considered devastated by the recent floods not flash floods over a few weeks. Godly abuses have serious consequences and the price to pay is extremely high on earth and thereafter, and so why look for short term gains when we should know how to do the best on earth even with our lands of depleted rainforests. When we consider restoration to the earth, it really means going back to its original characteristics, not into alien items like oil palm and illegal workers in such massive proportion. It is divine rights that the local people have more rights in own domain. Only illegal Government would dwell into the interests of illegal people using abusive means. You sow and you reap, and in this respect it is the spiral prices possible beyond control.

9) Human resources and business disability
Without statistics, how many capable and active people are prematurely disabled by lack of retraining and financial bankruptcy? Nowadays, there are many exposures where some people can be bankrupted and even jailed for offence once deemed to be of lesser evils. While many deserve such harsh punishment and unrepentant people should not be given another chance, we maybe putting away many capable still active business people to contribute. Don't you know many successful people have risen from the ashes of failures or hard knocks to be in command of new opportunities after a period of wilderness? There are also cases where people change their identity in devious means to get back to the action of the world. How do we want to address these as all those educational efforts are really going to waste if such people remain 'disabled" technically. However, there are some 'untouchable' people around. The other side is that many unqualified people are smarting in dubious acquired degrees including doctorate to pass on falsehood to others especially in tertiary educational establishment. All these undesirable activities (locking away genuine failures and keeping in dubious achievers to bleed the society) are adding up all costs to the society when human resources are concerned.



10) Systems dysfunction
In a nation of 25 millions, what is the justification of 1 million and more civil servants when much of the once Government responsibilities are now privatised. The system is in dysfunction where the Government and its agencies have departed from the dual roles namely to protect the people and system against abuses or harms from outside and be facilitators of development efforts by the Government for the people together with the contribution by the people. We have observed that many units within the same system have acted as hindrance to positive efforts to develop the nation (little, medium, and big napolean) hence fail to be facilitators or catalysts to efforts to create wealth for onward distribution. We have only one Government in one system hence the Government irespective where the units of the same system must function cohesively in dealing with the public as performers and the consumers. Rather we see conflicts prevail within the undesirable 'fragmented' system of policy divide to the detriment of all. Such dysfunction as in a beseiged Government needs to be addressed by massive efforts by all concerned with a total change to the system entrenched for fifty years.

11) Brain drain and wealth flight
Fear of the future and of what to expect in a misinformed society can generate insecurity resulting in many people making the choice of exit by migrating to countries considered more rational. This has happened in Sabah as millionaires from the exploitation of the rainforests have gone elsewhere with their wealth. Even those educated overseas in the years after independence choose to remain outside. That unfounded fear is the unresolved dubious claim on Sabah which had indirectly instigated the Indonesians once in confrontation against Malaysia to do rampage in Sabah. Sabah is facing costly social and political developments from its own inaction over the dead Claim on Sabah. Instead of the unfounded 'claim' approach, the devious neighbour had seen a grandiose scheme to come back at us through another window dubbed "Project M" to stir fear into the local. Where are we heading to unless we address the claim and the exodus of Indonesian into Sabah to cause so much rampage making the costs of restoring peace quite impossible now. The brain drain and wealth flight continues unabated and the vacuum filled by questionable quality and quantity running down the State further.

12) Leakages and wastages
These inevitable losses in leakages and wastages are there for decades. How to build up the State stability socially, politically and economically when such losses are so significant. We are endangered in a sense that imported problems are piling up daily while we ignore the local people's woes. Our water crisis of RM5 billions malaise is not getting better. How much of losses in basic items like electricity had been incurred in decades of self imposed woes? When such losses are not managed within reasons, we only ourselves to be slapped with price increases beyond control. Why allow some people to ruin the lives of many in Sabah in this unending legacy of irresponsible or 'recalcitrant' people?

13) Politicking and oppression
Sabah has gone through tremendous waves of politicking and oppression since 1963. Such waves had gone over our heads and under the bridges. Having gone through an era of dark ages in the early decade of independence, we have yet to get out of this tunnel despite successive changes of State Government. Sabah has been unfortunate under both oppression from the State and Federal Government as resources are rip off. All these have adversely impacted on the quality of life of the people of Sabah. Every consumers have contributed to that kind of scenario to be perpetrated.

14) Health Concern
Healthy people in the body, spirit and soul do not normally produce disabled people of any dimension or description. So when there are much health deformities at birth, then the root causes must be addressed urgently as no society can sustain such ills without endearing themself to massive costs which adds up to the costs of the nation. Draining away genuine wealth already at diminishing level nationwide, would cost the nation at incredible level and what returns do that bring? Only healthy people can bring real wealth to the nation in a cohesive scenario.
Hardship and bad habits of struggling people would give rise to more health discourse that would reap more pains and demoralisation to the people at large. Prevention and cure of diseases are both very expensive without considering the unfortunate loss arising from ill health. All these downsides would render the costs of living in any nation higher and the standard of living disheartening.
Healthy people must be nurtured with healthy minds and spirits, and so it is important that we have the right spiritual foods with the least disruptions in society.

15) Urban and rural developments
While the Government go about developing the nation under various Malaysia Plans, the 9th MP would fail to address the rural sectors. Although there are much urban development through private initiatives , there are still a lot of urban related poverty to be addressed. Nationally, it is very insecure when the lopsided economy is very much centred on a few key regions mainly in few major cities of the nation.



Section VI What can the Government and the people do?
Perhaps it is divine working against the illegal Government of the day as things like the climate are inevitable. We are all mirrors of our outlook. The scourge of the curses of the people in hardship is having a toll on the nation. When the Government allows the nation to be run down like the scenario of extra people identity cards of 1-2 millions in Sabah, what do you think the reactions of the patriotic local people towards the nation? Even the local people blest with oil under our homeland do not really derive much advantage from it, then how do you call that? Sabah for its past timber glory and still with oil resources, but little investment and neglected to deal with the dubious Claim on Sabah, we have arrived at a time like this faced with tough challenges in a system flawed by misdirections.

1) Imports and Exports
Malaysia generally imports a lot of food when there are still much idle lands. Even our exports are derived from FDI in some key areas. When the US $ is pegged around RM3.80 (previously RM2.50) for more than a decade since 1997, our exports to the US$ dominated market is so cheap that the importers do not really appreciate the natural worth of our natural resources. To some this maybe like a 'slavery' denoted economy. Even after lifting the peg, only little improvement despite the leaders claim that Ringgit is strong. Why is that so?
In the Sabah context we have to import goods - foreign and local but from Peninsula- and so we are at the receiving ends of the rising trends of prices elsewhere. When there are lopsided deals in Peninsula Malaysia like the highways and tolls, we have to pay for that too indirectly in imported items. Even the shipping costs from Pen Malaysia is exorbitant for decades. Sugar being a controlled item has been transported in naval ships to Sabah and Sarawak. Our import susbtitutes in Sabah are not adequate to meet domestic demands. Very little of our major exports revenue come back to Sabah.

2) Fuel Adjustment to be reviewed in Sabah
While we need fuel especially imported fuel we have to pay for the market price less the reduced subsidy prior 2005. The fuel adjustments had been significant in 2005 and 2006 and the Sabah's economy cannot contain such drastic adjustments without sacrificing purchasing power of the public. Many basic consumer items had been more costly due to the raw materials as imported as more expensive. It is an irony that Sabah has contributed much in the three decades of oil production, and yet we cannot derive some relief from such fuel price increases. Sabah's major economy in palm oil and fossil fuel does not stay in Sabah, and that is an important factor for the Government to consider in its policy of adjustment. If the developers of oil palms consider that they can only be profitable using 'slave' labour from the illegal and foreigners, then they should not go into that. The importers of the palm oil should review their policy as to slavery labour force. Ultimately, it is the local people picking up the pieces when oil palm plantations are abandoned for various reasons, but the illegal will remain in Sabah. Right now, we already under the scourge of foreign labour and foreign investors draining our homeland dry - ecologically and financially.

3) Regional disparities
It is public knowledge that the regional disparities in term of economic and financial opportunities have contributed to the hardship in Sabah and this hardship is symbolised by the increasing prices of essential items.

Section VII Conclusion
In this simple presentation, much more need to be done to fine tune the system we have. How many of our leaders actually read those books produced by the Institute of Development Studies and digest them? We need to first identify the areas and only then can we deal with them positively. If we just brush aside symptoms now identified, the cancers that are already in near advanced stages are incurable. Miracles we may have, but what we have created ourselves over the decades must be dealt with in the appropriate manner such woes deserve. We may pretend that certain things are not there but when we wake up to the occurences, it is really too late. When leaders are part of the problems, how do they deal with themselves first?
We then to blame others and such blames are futile because the backlash would be like 'tsunami' later.
In a nutshell, sincerity is important here and the begging question is - can we handle the spiralling prices with devastating effects on all? Self deceit does not bring us any where. An overhaul of the system is inevitable. Don't let the blind lead the blind. We are already diverting much resources for the void such as increasing disabilities including birth faults, birth defects and birth frights and call that charity. The irony is that the healthy and strong physically at least are allowed to rot in hardship and what do you call that? Look like self induced euthanasia but slow version is equally bad. We must appreciate the contribution of the elderly and aged lest they may be inclined to curse for whatever reasons. The direction of any nation in the 21st century is to give credit to the efforts of the past centuries in this shrinking earth with the accumulated technologies. Moving from the stone age to mechanical, electronic, knowledge and now to spiritual fulfillment for the well being of mankind on earth and thereafter, we need to evaluation our worth now.

Prepared by Joshua Y. C. Kong 6th January 2007