GRS leader slams Zahid over ‘change govt’ remark

GRS leader slams Zahid over ‘change govt’ remark

PETALING JAYA: A Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leader has hit back at Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over a snide remark aimed at the Sabah government in the Dewan Rakyat last week.

Zahid, who was winding-up debate over the Supply Bill 2025 on behalf of the rural and regional development ministry, had said in jest that one way to mitigate the migration of Sabahans to the peninsula would be through a change in government.

GRS information chief Joniston Bangkuai said migration out of Sabah has taken place for many years but had increased during BN’s two decade-rule of the state.

He said Zahid was wrong to blame the problem on the GRS-Pakatan Harapan state government, even if he only did so jokingly, pointing out that the phenomenon had existed long before the current administration took office.

“Umno and BN were in power in Sabah from 1994 to 2018. It would be interesting to know what Zahid and his party did to address this migration when they were in power then.

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Hakim Sekolahkan Badan Peguam Malaysia

“(Zahid’s) reaction smacks of arrogance and double standards,” the Parti Bersatu Sabah leader told FMT.

Joniston said the current state administration has taken significant steps aimed at tackling unemployment and curbing migration.

“The government has created hundreds of job opportunities through the setting up of factories, thanks to investments from foreign and local companies.

“These are all intended to address unemployment and also to lure Sabahans in the peninsula to return and work in their home state,” said the state assistant minister.

According to the Dewan Rakyat Hansard, Zahid had during proceedings on Nov 6 said: “The first mechanism to mitigate this migration (of Sabahans), for Sabah specifically, is to change the government.”

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Akar Umbi Mesti Lantang Bersuara Supaya Seiring Dengan Kepimpinan UMNO Untuk Bebaskan DS Najib

He was responding to a question from Kinabatangan MP and Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, who had asked what proposed measures the federal government intends to take to curb migration out of Sabah.

Some 350,000 young Sabahans are currently working in the Klang Valley, Johor and Penang.

This is not the first time Zahid has faced backlash from political leaders in Sabah recently.

Last Saturday, GRS secretary-general Masidi Manjun slammed the Umno president for saying the Sabah election was a “laboratory” in which the cooperation between BN and PH can be tested.

Masidi said the idea of using the state polls as a political experiment was uncalled for, adding that it made Sabah look like a lab rat.

BN and GRS, whose chairman Hajiji Noor is Sabah chief minister, are both hoping to establish an electoral pact with PH for the state polls, which must be held by Dec 9 next year at the latest.