KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah secretary general, Loretto Padua Jr has chided Ministry of Finance political secretary Mohd Joh Wid for failing to answer several critical issues relating to the ‘Sabah Watergate Scandal’ highlighted by Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal recently.
Loretto in a statement on Monday said that the Ministry of Finance should remember that the Minister of Finance, Datuk Seri Musa Aman had earlier on accused Shafie under full immunity during the State Assembly sitting last month for the absence of water supply in the rural areas although KKLW (Rural and Development Ministry) had constructed the treatment plants and pipes under the BALB projects.
In all fairness, Shafie had explained that the responsibility to provide treated water was not under the jurisdiction of KKLW but through several concessionaires appointed by the State Government itself, he said.
“This was also explained in my statement when the ministry continues to blame the president of Warisan on this issue. In view of that the ministry had been avoiding this matter by keeping silent about it, I would like to know who are the seven individuals/companies given the exclusive rights by the State Government under the privatisation exercise to provide clean, treated water under the BALB projects and as to why these individuals/companies failed to fulfill their responsibilities?” asked Loretto.
Loretto also wanted the ministry to explain why another concessionaire, Timatch Sdn. Bhd. had been given the extension for another 10 or 20 years to manage the supply of treated water in Sabah.
“Warisan is of the opinion that the ministry must come out with the answers to these two questions since Musa suddenly became silent after being challenged by Christopher ‘Toguk’ Masudal, the Special Officer to Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking to repeat his (Musa’s) accusation on Shafie in the open,” Loretto said.
Meanwhile, Loretto also said that the Chief Minister seemed to be non-committal to proceed with the White Paper over the scandal.
“Toguk had also challenged Musa to proceed with the White Paper over the scandal but there seemed to be no response at all from the latter. As head of the executive entrusted to handle the taxpayer monies, Musa cannot act irresponsibly by keeping mum over the challenge to publish a public report over such massive scandal after accusing Shafie in a cowardly manner.
“BN is only the policies and decisions maker for the people of Sabah through the machinery known as the State Government. However, we are looking at the biggest corruption case in the history of MACC which involves taxpayers monies and this depicts the failure of BN Sabah to manage the State Government properly,” he said.
“So the only way for BN Sabah to compensate for its failure in this matter is to proceed with the White Paper for the public to see,” he concluded.