Liew assails Anwar for allegedly mocking Sabahans’ suffering

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Liew presenting school bags to the pupils on Pulau Berhala.

Liew presenting school bags to the pupils on Pulau Berhala.

SANDAKAN: Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk VK Liew yesterday took the Opposition, especially their leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to task for allegedly laughing and singing at the suffering of Sabah people over the armed intrusion in the east coast of the state.

“Over the last few weeks, all he did (Anwar) was dancing and singing to the tune that ‘Sabah dah Goyang, Sabah dah hilang,’ (Sabah is shaken, Sabah is lost,),” claimed the Sandakan Member of Parliament after visiting villagers and the Army Camp at Pulau Berhala here.

“Everyone in Sabah has been very anxious and nervous and some even frightened out of their wits over the intrusion but Anwar Ibrahim did nothing to erase our fears. Instead, he laughs at us with his song and in the process humiliates us,” the LDP chief said when asked by reporters to comment on Anwar and the song he was alleged to have been singing recently.

“For the last few weeks, everyone of us has been nervously worried about the intrusion, and the rumours that spread around did not help the situation. Although none of the rumours are true, the lukewarm attitude of the Opposition leaders did nothing to allay our fears,’ he said.

“The fact is that there is absolute no comforting words coming from the Opposition leaders and until this very day, Anwar doesn’t even bother to ask how we feel.

“Instead, he is busy going round in West Malaysia giving ceramah and poking fun at us in Sabah by singing that ‘Sabah is shaken, Sabah is lost… He does not care about us here in Sabah,” Liew alleged.

He claimed that the entire Opposition camp has not shown any concern about the feelings, security and safety of Sabahans and Malaysians in the state.

“Karpal does not say a word, Hadi is absolutely quiet, while Guan Eng offers nothing. Only his father came to Sabah but that was briefly and all Kit Siang did was pointing finger and criticizing anything the Home Minister and Defence Minister said or done without offering any concrete solution,” Liew said.

“Surprisingly, the PR did eventually come out with an official statement but that was on 3rd March 2013, more than three weeks after the intrusion,” Liew added.

“Having taken so long to draft a so-called official statement, they said nothing of consequences to Sabah people. Absolute nothing in concrete they offer to resolve the conflict. They don’t even offer any words of comfort to the people of Sabah,” he said.

“All they did was trying to score political mileage out of the whole incident at the expense of the people of Sabah, he said, adding, “it does not appear they are interested in wanting to help to resolve the conflict. Instead they are adding salt to the wound by making bewildered statements to hurt the feeling of the people.

“The Sabah people are indeed angered. We are furious to see how anyone can sing a song to humiliate us at this very tense moment we are going through. Really shame on Anwar, shame on the Opposition,’ Liew said.

On his visit to the 10th Battalion of Royal Malay Regiment on Pulau Berhala which is under the command of Colonel Rosabie, Liew said he was briefed about the six islands near Sandakan which are under close surveillance by the military and the navy.

There have been no untoward incidents in all the six islands that are constant under watch by the regiment, he said.

Liew also disclosed the head of Kampun Ravi on Pulau Berhala, together with about 300 residents, many of whom of Filipino descent and have lived there for decades, pledged their allegiance to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Malaysia.