Bapa Segala Bapa 'Gaji YB Tak Cukup Makan' Punca Segala Rasuah Pemimpin GRS di Sabah?

                          Johnny S H Liew

Oleh Johnny S H Liew, 20-9-2025

KOTA KINABALU : Isu rasuah yang berterusan melanda di kalangan pemimpin GRS bukanlah sesuatu yang berlaku secara tiba-tiba. Akar kepada masalah ini adalah satu mentaliti ketamakan yang sangat berbahaya — mentaliti “gaji YB tidak cukup makan.”

1. Mentaliti Salah Guna Jawatan

Apabila seorang wakil rakyat merasakan gajinya tidak mencukupi untuk menampung gaya hidup, perbelanjaan politik atau kemewahan peribadi, mereka akan mencari jalan pintas. Jawatan awam yang sepatutnya menjadi amanah rakyat bertukar menjadi lesen untuk mengaut keuntungan. Inilah yang membuka pintu kepada rasuah, projek rundingan terus, dan komisen atas setiap kontrak kerajaan.

2. Dari Khidmat Kepada Gila Duit

Sebaliknya daripada menghayati konsep “pemimpin sebagai khadam rakyat,” GRS telah menukar kerusi YB menjadi pelaburan peribadi. Logiknya mudah: “Kalau gaji tidak cukup, projek mesti cukup.” Itulah sebabnya kita melihat bagaimana setiap peluang — pinjaman bank, tanah negeri, lesen balak, malah tender jalan kampung — diperah untuk kepentingan kroni dan keluarga.

3. Kerosakan Sistemik Ditaja Para Penguasa

Akibat mentaliti ini, Sabah terus mundur:

Projek infrastruktur gagal siap kerana dana bocor ke poket pemimpin.

Syarikat kroni mendapat kontrak tetapi rakyat masih hidup dalam gelap, tanpa bekalan air bersih.

Hutang negeri menimbun kerana institusi kewangan seperti Sabah Development Bank dijadikan “mesin duit politik.”

4. Empat Tahun Bukti Kegagalan

GRS sudah hampir lima tahun berkuasa. Jika benar mereka peduli rakyat, sudah lama ada perubahan nyata. Tetapi apa yang kita lihat? Pemimpin GRS hidup dengan kemewahan — kereta mewah, rumah besar, percutian luar negara — sedangkan rakyat terus bergelut dengan harga barang, gaji rendah, dan kemiskinan tertinggi di Malaysia.

5. Jalan Keluar — Politik Bersih, Bukan Ketamakan Tak Bertepi

Rakyat Sabah tidak boleh lagi diperdaya dengan alasan “gaji tidak cukup.” YB bukan dilantik untuk mencari makan, tetapi untuk berkhidmat kepada rakyat. Jika gaji tidak mencukupi, jangan jadi calon. Kalau mahu kaya, berniagalah secara jujur, jangan jadikan politik sebagai perniagaan peribadi.

Sabah memerlukan kepimpinan yang bersih, berintegriti, dan berani menolak politik rasuah. Warisan sudah membuktikan bahawa sebuah kerajaan boleh berdiri dengan prinsip dan ketelusan.

Selagi mentaliti “gaji tidak cukup makan” menjadi alasan pemimpin GRS, selagi itulah Sabah tidak akan bebas daripada rasuah. Rakyat berhak menuntut pemimpin yang melihat kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri bukan sebagai peluang mengaut projek, tetapi sebagai amanah untuk memperjuangkan 40% hak negeri, membina peluang pekerjaan, dan mengangkat maruah rakyat Sabah.

Johnny S H Liew, Anak Jati Sabah, adalah seorang aktivis komuniti Sabah.

The English Version:

The ‘YB Salary Not Enough to Eat’ Mentality is the Root of All Corruption Among GRS Leaders in Sabah?

Kota Kinabalu: The ongoing corruption scandals involving GRS leaders did not happen by accident. The root cause lies in a dangerous mentality — the belief that a “YB’s salary is not enough to eat.”

1. A Mentality of Abuse of Office

When an elected representative feels their salary is insufficient to sustain their lifestyle, political expenses, or personal luxuries, they will look for shortcuts. A public office that is supposed to be a trust of the people is turned into a license to profit. This opens the door to corruption, direct-award projects, and commissions from every government contract.

2. From Service to Greed

Instead of embracing the concept of “leaders as servants of the people,” GRS has turned the YB’s seat into a personal investment. The logic is simple: “If the salary isn’t enough, the projects must be enough.” That is why we see every opportunity — bank loans, state land, mining concessions, timber licenses, even village road tenders — squeezed for the benefit of cronies and family members.

3. Systemic Damage

Because of this mentality, Sabah continues to fall behind:

Infrastructure projects fail to be completed because funds leak into politicians’ pockets.

Crony companies win contracts while people still live in darkness, without clean water.

State debt piles up because financial institutions like the Sabah Development Bank are turned into “political cash machines.”

4. Four Years of Proof of Failure

GRS has been in power for more than four years. If they truly cared for the people, real change would have happened by now. Instead, what do we see? GRS leaders living in luxury — imported cars, mansions, overseas holidays — while the people continue to struggle with rising prices, low wages, and the highest poverty rate in Malaysia.

5. The Way Out — Clean Politics, Not Greedy Stomachs

The people of Sabah must no longer be deceived by the excuse of “salary not enough.” YBs are not elected to feed themselves, but to serve the people. If the salary is not enough, then don’t run for office. If you want to be rich, do business honestly — don’t turn politics into a personal business.

Sabah needs leadership that is clean, principled, and brave enough to reject corrupt politics. Warisan has already proven that a government can stand on principle and transparency.

Conclusion

As long as the mentality of “salary not enough to eat” remains the excuse of GRS leaders, Sabah will never be free from corruption. The people deserve leaders who see the State Assembly seat not as a chance to grab projects, but as a trust to establish good governance based on merit, transparent, accountable, open, just and fair, fight for Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement, to create jobs, and to restore the dignity of Sabah’s people.#~Borneo Herald™