Sabahans Please Read This Carefully

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 "At the end of the day, in a democratic system such as ours, the people who get elected to the top reflect the people at the bottom who elected them". 


Here is an article written by Daniel John Jambun from Sabah. My comments are in blue. 
As Sabah stands on the threshold of a defining election, the cry for bold and irreversible reform has grown deafening. The “Sabah Reset” is not mere rhetoric—it is the rallying call of a new incoming government, led by the people’s hope, possibly under Warisan, to take back our homeland from a regime that has failed us at every turn.
OSTB : Hi Daniel John Jambun. Somehow I dont think anything will change. Regardless who is in charge in Sabah. The problem in Sabah are the people in Sabah. They do not seem to know - or care about - what is right and what is wrong. Or what is good and what is not good for them. The same as in Malaya. When the people do not understand much then the politicians will clean them out.For five long years, the GRS-led administration has reduced Sabah to a cautionary tale: a land blessed with immense resources but cursed with misrule, corruption, and blind subservience to federal overlords. Sabah is not broken by nature—it is being broken by design.
OSTB : I think that has been going on for more than five years. It has been going on from before Projek IC (50 years ago). We thought Joseph Pairin Kitinggan would have made some changes. Nothing changed. That was 35 years ago.

Sabah in Ruin: The Reality No One Can DenySabahans are not delusional. They are disillusioned—and for good reason:Worst Water Supply in Malaysia – A basic necessity has become a daily nightmare. Clean water is now a luxury.Most Frequent Blackouts – Our cities and villages plunge into darkness while leaders bask in the spotlight.Worst Roads Nationwide – Dangerous, crumbling roads that reflect the state’s direction under GRS: broken and unfit for purpose.Highest Poverty Rate – In a resource-rich state, our people are forced to scrape for survival.Highest Unemployment (7.7%) – Especially among youth, who are pushed out of Sabah in search of dignity.Schools in Crisis – Over 589 out of 1,200 schools are dilapidated, 225 in critical condition—Sabah’s children are being robbed of their future.Healthcare Collapse – Empty clinics, unequipped hospitals, suffering patients. Our health system is a national disgrace.Corruption Capital – Sabah leads in corruption cases—leaders feed off public wealth with impunity.Demoralised Civil Service – Dedicated officers demotivated by political interference and nepotism.Land Grab Scandals – Cronies and political allies seize native land under the guise of “development.”Environmental Plunder – Logging, mining, and pollution carried out with zero regard for sustainability.OSTB : As I said this has been going on for 50 years. Without a doubt our country, including Sabah, is a democracy. If in 50 years the people in Sabah were NOT ABLE to vote for honest Wakil Rakyat who should have fought for their basic rights (which you have listed above) then most obviously there is something seriously wrong with the people of Sabah. Why cant you vote for the right people? It is your right and it is your responsibility.
At the end of the day, in a democratic system such as ours, the people who get elected to the top reflect the people at the bottom who elected them. 
If Sabahans want change then Sabahans must change themselves first.
If you care only about your own race, your own religion, your own language group, your own tribe and do not see the common good of everyone together - then the politicians will play divide and rule and clean everything out.  
This is exactly the same problem with the people in Malaya. Everyone looks out for their own race, their own religion, their own language group, their own tribe and do not see the common good of everyone together. So we get cleaned out by the politicians. 
 
A State Betrayed by Its Own Government

This is not just mismanagement—it is betrayal. Corruption has metastasised into every limb of the state. Institutions are captured. Public funds are siphoned off. Civil service is politicised. The people have been reduced to bystanders while a cartel of elites tightens its grip on Sabah.
OSTB : Have you heard of Malaya? They suffer the same problems.

Silence is rewarded, dissent punished. This is not governance. This is occupation in disguise—by our own.

OSTB : Ditto 

Why Good Governance Is No Longer an Option—It Is the Only OptionSabah must break the cycle of dependency, subservience, and decay.  The Sabah Reset envisions a government that:Appoints Based on Merit, not political loyalty. (Will not happen)Practices Total Transparency, not secrecy. (Will not happen)Holds Power Accountable, not protected. (Will not happen)Upholds Justice, not favours. (Will not happen)Listens to the People, not dismisses them. (Will not happen)OSTB: Plea$e do not be naive. You mu$t be reali$tic. All that i$ not going to happen. $o far it ha$ not been difficult for the politician$ to convince the people of $abah otherwi$e.  There is a solution. It is called the ballot box. The people must make their unhappiness known through the ballot box. Governance is not a privilege of power—it is a sacred duty. The next government must serve with humility, integrity, and competence—or step aside.  (Will not happen)
Sabah Deserves Leaders, Not Lackeys
We need a generation of leadership that speaks truth to power, defends our rights, and reclaims our future. Sabah doesn’t need yes-men to Putrajaya—it needs warriors for the people.  (Will not happen)
This new government will not bend. It will not beg. It will demand what is rightfully ours under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). No more betrayals.
The Sabah Reset Agenda: Bold and Non-Negotiable
Crush Corruption – Institutionalise transparency. Place MACC officers in every ministry, especially the Chief Minister’s Office. No more unchecked power. (Will not happen. It has not happened in Malaya. Why should it happen in Sabah?)
Reclaim the Economy – Develop homegrown industries, create jobs, and ensure Sabahans benefit from Sabah’s wealth.
Assert Autonomy, Not Ask for It – Enforce Sabah’s constitutional rights under MA63 and support all legal efforts (SABAR, SLS) to challenge the Territorial Sea Act 2012 and secure Sabah’s 40% federal revenue entitlement.
Fix Broken Institutions – Restore independence to public service and end political interference. (Will not happen)
Revive Basic Services – Repair our roads, stabilise electricity, resolve water woes, and rebuild our hospitals and schools—especially in rural areas.
End Cronyism – Replace it with inclusive, fair, and merit-based appointments that reflect the true spirit of Sabah. (Will not happen)
Conclusion: Rise or Rot—The Choice is Ours
Sabah has suffered enough. We cannot afford another five years of lies, of plunder, of betrayal. 
The Sabah Reset is not just a plan—it is a revolution of accountability. It is Sabah’s last chance to rise.
Let this be the generation that said enough.
Let this be the government that truly serves. (Will not happen)
Let this be the moment Sabah rewrites its destiny.
Change is not optional. It is a matter of survival.
Reset now—or perish under a regime that no longer serves the people.
Daniel John JambunPresidentBorneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) andChange Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS)
OSTB: Here is my suggestion to the people of Sabah.  First of all please understand that whoever you vote for, nothing will change. This is Rule No. 1.The politicians simply DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. This is exactly the same situation in Malaya. They just dont care. Once they get elected, they start to speak the language of power - licenses, quotas, concessions, monopolies, money, projects and contracts.  They forget where they came from, they forget the people who put their trust in them.  In Sabah and in Malaya this is The Law of Politics. This law is written in stone. To change this law you need a chisel and hammer.  The chisel and hammer is actually easily achieved - MAKE SURE NO ONE WINS.Make sure there is a "hung" Assembly.Make sure no one can form the gomen.Split your votes.If there are two voters in your family, divide your vote in two.Dont all vote for the same party or candidate.If there are three voters in your family, divide your votes into three. It will not make even one tiny dot of a difference who wins the elections.The people of Sabah will still get screwed. That is a certainty.So just split your votes.  When you meet your neighbours and friends tell them the same.DO NOT LET ANY ONE PARTY WIN.Then they will be forced to form coalitions. Which means weak government.If katak lompat, the coalition gomen will collapse. There could be snap elections again.Then repeat the same process.Make the politicians lives difficult. Until they really make the changes which the people want.Changes which the people of Sabah want.  Do not be fooled by SRS, GPS, MGS or whoever. Semua sama. Semua tak boleh pakai.People of Sabah - Vote for the policies.Dont vote for the party. DONT LET ANY SINGLE PARTY WIN.  
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.By Syed Akbar Ali 

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