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GRS Builds Rhetoric, the People Remain Poor
KOTA KINABALU, 11/10/2025 : The Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS) today slammed Datuk James Ligunjang’s attempt to portray the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration as a “journey of hope, progress and prosperity,” calling it a hollow propaganda piece aimed at concealing economic failures, unfulfilled promises, and growing public discontent.
“Ligunjang speaks as if Sabah has entered a new era under GRS. In reality, Sabah’s economy is slowing, rural poverty is worsening, and most government-linked projects have failed, stalled, or gone bankrupt,” said Angie Chin, CAMOS Coordinator for Penampang.
She pointed out that the most glaring failure is the collapse of Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) in Sipitang — once a cornerstone of Sabah’s industrial economy, now destroyed under GRS’s watch, causing thousands to lose their jobs and depriving the state of potential revenue worth hundreds of millions of ringgit.
“The SFI debacle exposes the true incompetence of GRS. Instead of reviving one of Sabah’s largest industrial assets, they allowed it to decay. Promises to resolve the issue were made repeatedly, but nothing was ever delivered,” Angie stressed.
She further noted that hundreds of thousands of acres of SFI land, if redistributed — even 15 acres per indigenous family — could have benefited thousands of local households.
“Instead, the land has passed into the hands of third parties. The chance to return land rights to the indigenous people was allowed to slip away — a major betrayal of the people of Sabah,” she said.
Angie also highlighted the collapse of the Pitas Prawn Farm project, which was touted as a key rural income generator but ended up bankrupt and abandoned.
“This project was used as GRS’s political showcase, but it turned into a symbol of failure. Millions were spent, yet the people of Pitas gained nothing. It only deepened frustration and anger among rural Sabahans,” she added.
She went on to list other failed or incomplete projects — including the sluggish Pan Borneo Highway, delayed water and electricity projects in Tongod, Nabawan, and Beluran, and GRS’s failure to attract new industrial investments despite receiving billions in federal allocations.
“GRS keeps boasting about impressive revenue figures as if they reflect economic progress. But in reality, people are still facing blackouts, poor roads, rising living costs, and unstable jobs. This is not prosperity — it’s suffering,” she said.
Angie also rejected GRS’s claim that the increase in state revenue from RM4 billion to RM10 billion represents policy success.
“That’s just a statistical illusion. The increase comes not from smart policies but from external factors like global commodity prices and federal transfers. If GRS is truly performing, where is the benefit for the people?” Angie asked.
She further condemned GRS’s failure to fight for Sabah’s 40% constitutional revenue entitlement under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution, as well as their failure to reform the Native Court system and resolve rural land disputes.
“This is not a government of hope — it’s a government of hypocrisy. They’ve failed on every front: industrial revival, rural empowerment, good governance, and the defense of Sabah’s rights,” Angie declared.
She emphasised that Sabah needs leaders with courage and vision, not administrators skilled only in repeating promises and hiding their failures.
“After five years, what has GRS really achieved? Failed projects, broken promises, and widening inequality. The people of Sabah deserve honest leadership — not another fairytale about progress that never reaches them,” she concluded.
Angie Chin is the Coordinator of
Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS) for
Penampang
Versi Bahasa Malaysia:
Perjalanan Harapan GRS Hanya Retorik — SFI, Ladang Udang Pitas dan Projek Terbengkalai Bukti Kegagalan dan Pengkhianatan Terhadap Rakyat Sabah
GRS Bina Retorik, Rakyat Terus Miskin
Kota Kinabalu — Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS) hari ini mengecam kenyataan Datuk James Ligunjang yang cuba menggambarkan pentadbiran Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) sebagai “perjalanan harapan, kemajuan dan kemakmuran,” sambil menyifatkannya sebagai propaganda kosong untuk menutup kegagalan ekonomi, janji yang tidak ditepati dan kekecewaan rakyat yang semakin mendalam.
“Ligunjang bercakap seolah-olah Sabah berada dalam era baharu di bawah GRS. Hakikatnya, ekonomi Sabah semakin perlahan, kemiskinan luar bandar semakin parah, dan majoriti projek berkaitan kerajaan gagal, terbengkalai atau muflis,” kata Angie Chin, Penyelaras CAMOS Penampang.
Beliau menegaskan bahawa kegagalan paling besar ialah Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) di Sipitang — tonggak industri yang kini musnah di bawah pemerintahan GRS, mengakibatkan ribuan kehilangan kerja dan Sabah kehilangan potensi hasil bernilai ratusan juta ringgit.
“Isu SFI membongkar kepincangan sebenar GRS. Daripada menghidupkan semula aset industri terbesar Sabah, mereka membiarkannya reput. Janji untuk menyelesaikan isu ini berulang kali dibuat, namun tiada apa-apa hasil,” tegas Angie.
Beliau turut menambah bahawa ratusan ribu ekar tanah SFI, jika diagihkan semula sekurang-kurangnya 15 ekar setiap keluarga pribumi, boleh memberi manfaat besar kepada ribuan keluarga tempatan.
“Namun, tanah ini kini berpindah tangan kepada pihak ketiga. Peluang untuk mengembalikan hak tanah kepada anak negeri dibiarkan hilang — satu pengkhianatan besar terhadap rakyat Sabah,” katanya.
Angie juga menyorot kegagalan projek Ladang Udang Pitas yang kononnya mahu menjana pendapatan luar bandar, tetapi akhirnya muflis dan terbengkalai.
“Projek ini dijadikan modal politik oleh GRS, tetapi akhirnya menjadi simbol kegagalan mereka. Jutaan ringgit dibelanjakan, tetapi rakyat Pitas tidak mendapat apa-apa. Ia hanya menambah kekecewaan dan kemarahan rakyat luar bandar,” tambahnya.
Selain itu, beliau turut menyenaraikan pelbagai projek lain yang gagal atau tidak siap — termasuk Pan Borneo Highway yang perlahan, projek air dan elektrik di Tongod, Nabawan dan Beluran yang tertangguh, serta kegagalan menarik pelaburan industri baharu walaupun Sabah menerima berbilion ringgit peruntukan daripada kerajaan pusat.
“GRS terus berbangga dengan angka besar kononnya menunjukkan kemajuan ekonomi. Tetapi realitinya, rakyat masih berdepan gangguan bekalan elektrik, jalan rosak, harga barang meningkat dan tiada pekerjaan stabil. Ini bukan kemakmuran, ini penderitaan,” katanya lagi.
Angie turut menolak dakwaan peningkatan hasil negeri daripada RM4 bilion kepada RM10 bilion sebagai kejayaan dasar GRS.
“Itu hanyalah ilusi statistik. Kenaikan hasil bukan datang daripada dasar yang bijak, tetapi faktor luar seperti harga komoditi dan bantuan persekutuan. Kalau benar GRS hebat, di mana hasilnya kepada rakyat?” soal Angie.
Beliau juga mengecam kegagalan GRS memperjuangkan hak 40% hasil bersih Sabah di bawah Perkara 112C dan 112D Perlembagaan Persekutuan, serta kegagalan mereka dalam reformasi Mahkamah Anak Negeri dan menyelesaikan pertikaian tanah luar bandar.
“Ini bukan kerajaan harapan — ini kerajaan kepura-puraan. Mereka gagal dalam semua aspek: kebangkitan industri, pemberdayaan luar bandar, tadbir urus baik dan perjuangan hak negeri,” kata Angie.
Beliau menegaskan bahawa Sabah memerlukan kepimpinan yang berani dan berwawasan, bukan pentadbir yang hanya pandai menjual janji dan menyembunyikan kegagalan.
“Selepas lima tahun, apa yang benar-benar dicapai oleh GRS? Projek gagal, janji dimungkiri, dan jurang kekayaan semakin melebar. Rakyat Sabah berhak mendapat kepimpinan yang tulus, bukan dongeng kemajuan yang tidak pernah sampai kepada mereka,” tegasnya.
Angie Chin
Penyelaras
Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS)
Penampang#~Borneo Herald™
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