Page 8 - Datuk John News Today

Sabah deserves better KKIA management. As a Sabahan, I am disgusted up to my eyeballs by MAB’s criminal negligence of KKIA over the years. MAB has utterly failed to maintain KKIA to a minimum standard expected of an international airport. No doubt you already know that KKIA is Malaysia’s 2nd busiest airport, millions of Malaysians and foreign tourists use KKIA each year.  KKIA is, I am sure you also know, is one of your largest revenue sources. From Sabah’s perspective, KK...

Hajiji’s speech last Saturday can be considered a political one in view of the audience. However, it is the first time that a major political leader has exhibited considerable statesmanship to bring Sabah forward. Clearly can be discerned are  [a] New political and economic directions for Sabah  [b] A new way of looking at Sabah’s problems and seeking innovative solutions.  [c] A new realignment of federal/state relationship.  [d] A Hajiji style of inclusiveness, ...

In January 2022 the Indonesian Parliament endorsed Jokowi’s plan to build a new capital for Indonesia to be called Nusantara. On 16 August 2019 he officially announced his plan for Nusantara and on 14th March, conducted the ritual for commencement of work. Credit to Jokowi, he means what he says. Wasting no time at all, he got the new capital started

The recent “hot” news was Wang Yi’s [China Foreign Minister] brief overnight stopover in KK on 4th of June 2022. The meeting between him and Datuk Dr Jeffry Kitingan, quite naturally, has spurred intense speculation. Was Wang Yi’s brief visit deliberate with intent to update the connect between China and Sabah? Is Wang Yi here cos China has noticed Sabah’s progress since Hajiji’s take over as CM and his restructuring initiatives for the Sabah’s economy...

CM DATUK Seri Hajiji and the presidents of component parties launched the GRS coalition on 28th May 2022. In his speech, Hajiji touched on the rationale and direction of the newly registered coalition at great length. Most impressive goals! Never in Sabah’s history has a political party or coalition having devoted such focus to give a comprehensive vision for Sabah

On 23rd May 2022, the Daily Express banner-headlined “250,000 jobless youths seen” by 2024. As stated in this article, Sabah’s unemployment is about three times higher than national average. This is very serious. The reality is even more frightening when added to this context  [a] The unemployed are Sabahan youths, their future is Sabah’s destiny, potentially the most productive. Ignominious and very bad for the economy.  [b] Can be very damaging psychologically...

I am grateful for the feedback to my article last Sunday “Coming together cos they love Sabah” in the Sunday Express on 15 May 2022. Dominating these comments are  [a] Sabahans’ keen desire for politicians to get down to do real work, i.e., solve Sabah’s economic problems.  [b] Sabah politicians should unite to protect Sabah’s interest

It was a beautiful dream come true. Hajiji’s inclusiveness is bearing fruit where it is most important at the political level. Heartening to see that a number of opposition political leaders have accepted Hajiji’s invitation to attend the Majlis Ramah Mesra Aidilfitri at SICC on 7 May 2022. It was a good start

Sabahans have already been suffering from higher prices more than the rest of Malaysia for decades for many well-known reasons. We can take comfort that the Russian/Ukraine war is many thousands of miles away in Europe.  But Sabah, like the rest of the world cannot escape from its very serious economic fallouts, the hyper-inflation induced by a declining, increasingly irresponsible and desperate-USA

Musa had a brilliant vision for POIC when he launched it in 2005. POIC was destined to cater for the downstream industry for the rapidly growing oil palm plantations in the East Coast where most of Sabah”s oil palm plantations are located. He has provided POIC with a total of 5,000 acres as he was also eyeing the vast area of Kalimantan that was being developed with large scale oil palm. He was right.  Today, Kalimantan has achieved planting of at least 13 million hectares in 2020. Mo...