TAWAU: Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming has accused several federal leaders of committing a series of ‘economic crime’ in Sabah over the last couple of years.
He said that these leaders had taken cheap and ‘below the belt’ shots at the people of Sabah by making insensitive and uncalled for statements that served no interest to anyone here other than cheap publicity for themselves.
Pang highlighted that the latest disclosure by Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed to the world from unsubstantiated information over the ‘so-called plans’ by the Sulu militants to launch a revenge attack on Sabah, should have been handled discreetly as secret intelligence among the security communities.
“For unknown reasons, he has chosen to make the totally unnecessary declaration that has only served to frighten the people of Sabah and giving strength to the incorrect perception that Sabah is totally unsafe.
“Maybe unknown to him, his action had also exposed his inability to carry out his sworn duties and responsibilities as Deputy Home Minister to safeguard our nation, and even worst had undermined the abilities and capabilities of our security forces at the frontline to protect our beloved Sabah,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Pang added such behavior was unheard of in other developed countries as those true leaders understand the importance of not causing unnecessary uncertainties and fear among their citizens.
“It is already really painful for many of us in the tourism industry to have so many foreign countries issuing travel advisories on Sabah recently over security issues under the jurisdiction of his ministry.
“Many of us feel victimized and unfairly singled out by foreign communities when no such advisory was seen anywhere after the horrific and senseless attacks in Paris. But to have our own federal leaders make such unnecessary and ‘idiotic’ statements (as the saying goes) feels like ‘our own family members are hammering the last nail to our coffin’,” he lamented.
Pang said it must be beyond such leaders’ comprehension that what they had said would have negative repercussions on Sabah, and undoubtedly would lead to potential loss of hundreds of millions in revenue that would definitely affect many Sabahans whose livelihood depended on tourism.
“With this latest statement from our senior federal leader, those foreign advisories issued will definitely be heightened and will most likely lead to other countries which have not done so to do the same,” he said.
“When will these leaders ever learn to stop putting their foot in their mouth and start helping us instead of rubbing more salts into our wounds? All these years we have tolerated the many insensitive and hurtful actions and statements from not only the opposition but also from our so-called friends in the federal government.
“It is time that we put a stop to all these nonsense once and for all. As in the case of Nurul and Tian Chua, we must take serious action against those federal leaders who had the temerity to inflict unnecessary fear, uncertainty, uneasiness and anger among Sabahans and, in this case, having committed economic crime against us,” Pang said.
Nur Jazlan on Saturday disclosed that Sulu forces from southern Philippines were planning another attempt to reclaim Sabah.
The deputy minister said intelligence information showed the militants were planning a “revenge attack” following the 2013 deadly incursion in Lahad Datu.
He said the Home Ministry was working to neutralise “a local network of sympathisers” who assimilated into local communities, making it difficult for enforcement to detect them.