Warisan To Pursue Sabah Reset Based On Un Int L Standards

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Warisan will pursue a “reset Sabah” blueprint based on UN sustainable development goals and consultation with international environmental groups, said Warisan vice-president Terrence Siambun.
In a statement today, Siambun said this was necessary to chart the way forward for sustainable development in Sabah, arguing that the present Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration policies does not offer anything new.
“The main problem is that GRS is back to using the ‘old format’ of the Sabah BN administration that has been used for 23 years (1995-2018).
“The assistance given by the GRS state government was only to repair damaged houses and cost-of-living aid, which is not much,” he said.
“I am sure the GRS ministers prefer to carry out their duties in such a way because they are more familiar with it and as a result, they are not keen to take up a tough format such as urging the federal government for an appropriate allocation,” said Siambun.
Warisan vice-president Terrence SiambunHe questioned why GRS kept using the same strategy given that Sabah is still the poorest state in the nation despite past policies.
“There is no concrete plan or blueprint provided by GRS to improve the standard of living, education, and health of the local community apart from providing the slogan ‘Sabah Maju Jaya’.
“I have seen for myself that in the interior of the state, families do not have enough food and have no treated water,” he said. 
Apart from making ends meet, he said the land, ecosystems, floods, dilapidated schools, and infrastructure are among the main issues that require immediate intervention.
‘Warisan govt pursued reforms’
Siambun, who is also a former appointed state assemblyperson during Warisan’s rule, said the administration led by his party had introduced several reforms but the result was not seen due to a change of the state government. 
Back then, he said, there were proposals to come up with a Sabah blueprint that was based on the standards set by independent international bodies and organisations.
“The blueprint should be aimed at solving the main problems in the state, and the United Nations (UN), Transparency International (TI), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) should be invited to participate in the preparation of the blueprint.
“The UN Sustainable Development Goal (UN-SDG17), which was launched in 2015, would be the backbone of the Warisan administration as the 17 goals in the UN-SDG17 are relevant to Sabah,” he said.
The UN-SDG17 framework has actually been implemented in Malaysia and an SDG centre was set up by under the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), he said.
“I believed that it would be a strategic step taken by Warisan to begin working with UN and other countries which are committed to resolving the problems faced by Sabah for decades,” he said. 
“The drafting of a ‘Reset Sabah’ blueprint should be joined by international organisations such as the UN and its Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and WWF as their views are often taken into account in disputes between the state government and the indigenous people, especially those related to land and environment,” he said. - Mkini

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