SAPP to BN: Get
the priorities right!
 KOTA
KINABALU, July 20, 2010: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has expressed both
regret and disgust over the government's recent antics of providing
computer notebooks to the people of Pulau Banggi, Kudat, one of the most
impoverished areas in Sabah.
SAPP Information Chief, Chong Pit Fah described such antics as yet another
gimmick by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to ‘fish for votes',
blatantly disregarding the people's real needs which he stressed should be
given top priority.
"It is a big insult to the people of Sabah because computers are not the
pressing need for the people in Banggi or other poverty-stricken areas in
the State for that matter but better shelters and basic amenities," he
said in a statement issued here today.
He was commenting on the news report on last Friday on Information,
Communication and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Rais Yatim's visit to
Karakit, Banggi Island to launch the distribution of 1Malaysia computer
notebooks and Postal Transformation Plan for Sabah and Sarawak.
According to Rais, 500 1Malaysia notebooks had been given away in Kudat
including 100 units in Banggi Island.
Chong claimed that many Sabahans were not only unimpressed but outraged by
the picture of a shirtless elderly Dusun Bonggi man, who was purportedly one of
the recipients, holding a computer notebook while sitting at the stairs in
front of his dilapidated attap hut that was widely published in the
newspapers clearly reflected that he needed a better shelter more than the
gadget.
"Of course, giving free computers to the people especially school children
to enhance knowledge and education through ICT is something worthy, but
can't the government set the priority right?" he asked.
Chong further said the old man's dilapidated attap dwelling also confirmed
that Sabah is indeed still the poorest state in the country, and more
needed to be done to improve the basic amenities for the people,
particularly those living in such remote and backward areas such as Pulau
Banggi.
He also doubted very much if the said dwelling and those of his neighbours
have electricity supply let alone Internet connection, as claimed in the
said news report that a private company, Pernec Paypoint Sdn Bhd,
sponsored a wireless Internet facility in the Kampung WiFi project by
setting a WiFi antenna on a school roof in Karakit that facilitates
broadband access.
He thus contended that if the government is really sincere about
eradicating poverty in the state, it should better utilize the taxpayers'
money to improve such basic amenities like the roads, power and water
supply in the rural areas which are currently still very much lacking and
has been causing a great hardship to the rural folks.
"Many villages in the rural areas, some as near as Penampang District
currently are still without access roads, some are not even accessible by
the four-wheel vehicles and the children have to walk several hours to get
to the nearest school; and at night, they have to light candles to do
their homework and revision due to no electricity supply. Many of these
villagers who are farmers are also having problem to market their produce
at the nearest tamu due to poor infrastructure," he highlighted.
Touching on the broadband access, Chong contended that the government
should first get the various Internet broadband service providers to
improve their service, as many areas in the state are currently still
facing problem of unreliable Internet access and often at a snail pace.
He said the government has been very irresponsible in trying to dupe the
masses into believing that what it had been doing all these while
including this latest "computer notebooks gimmick" was really for the
people's benefit, when it is not.
"No wonder our country is now in such a dire financial position that the
government had to cut subsidy to stay afloat, despite the fact that our
country is blessed with rich natural resources including oil and gas
besides fertile lands and marine resources," he said...more
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