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Kota Kinabalu — We strongly reject the recent commentary by Datuk Seri Panglima Clarence Bongkos Malakun, a member of the Sabah Economic Advisory Council, which attempts to rewrite Sabah’s political history and whitewash the failures of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government. The truth must be set straight.
- GRS Never Earned Its Mandate at the Ballot Box
In 2018, the election produced a hung assembly. Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal formed the government with a legitimate majority after UPKO switched allegiance. This was challenged in court by Musa Aman himself. Crucially, Musa later withdrew his case knowing he would lose, thereby indirectly affirming the legitimacy of the Warisan government.
In 2020, Warisan was toppled through a backdoor move engineered by defections. GRS was only born after the coup. There was never a clean electoral mandate for GRS — only a cobbled-together coalition of convenience.
- Economic Record: Don’t Cherry-Pick
It is disingenuous for Datuk Clarence to claim Sabah’s economy “slowed” under Warisan. Between 2018–2019, the state was hit by global headwinds, including palm oil restrictions by Europe and a global trade slowdown. Despite this, Warisan laid the groundwork for fiscal reforms, fought corruption, and defended Sabah’s rights under MA63. Growth data without context is spin.
- On the Water Concession Issue: Facts Matter
Hajiji and his allies — echoed by Datuk Clarence — keep pointing to Warisan’s 2018 termination of water treatment plant concessions as the reason for Sabah’s water woes. The public deserves the full story:
Lopsided Contracts: The concession agreements for 58 treatment plants were riddled with inflated maintenance bills, lump-sum payments without clear scope, and poor oversight. Yet the state was paying concessionaires RM15.5 million every month (Daily Express, Borneo Post).
A Responsible Decision: Warisan terminated the contracts to stop financial bleeding. Compensation claims of around RM315 million were filed by the concessionaires, but Warisan refused to pay blindly and instead chose to let the matter be decided in court. This was the only responsible course of action given the unjust terms of the contracts.
Workers Protected: About 1,335 employees of the concessionaires were absorbed into the Water Department (The Vibes). No one was abandoned.
Water Woes Pre-Date Warisan: Chronic rationing, leaking pipes, and unreliable supply existed even under the concession system. To blame Warisan for problems that pre-dated 2018 is dishonest.
If the termination was the only cause, why has Hajiji — after five years as Chief Minister — failed to solve the problem despite his “Sabah Maju Jaya” roadmap and federal backing? The excuses are running dry, just like Sabah’s taps.
- GRS’s Empty Record
GRS talks about “delivery,” yet water rationing continues.
They boast of “unity,” yet are divided internally with parties pulling in different directions.
They claim to have improved state finances, yet poverty remains entrenched and rural communities still suffer.
Conclusion: Rhetoric Cannot Replace Reality
The people of Sabah know the truth:
Warisan came to power legitimately.
GRS was never directly mandated by the people.
The water concession issue was about stopping financial abuse, not causing shortages.
After five years, GRS has no excuse left — only empty slogans and spin.
For someone who sits on the Sabah Economic Advisory Council, Datuk Clarence should be defending the people’s rights and holding the government accountable. Instead, he has chosen to defend failed policies and recycle tired excuses. This is not economic advice — it is political propaganda.
The record, not rhetoric, should decide. And the record shows that GRS is built on betrayal, not ballots.
Jeremiah Julian Stambul
Timbalan Ketua Wira Warisan (P174)
Kepayan.
