KOTA KINABALU: President of Sabah Reform Alliance Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should give priority to infrastructure development in Sabah and not merely giving the people water tanks to harvest rainwater.
The Beaufort member of parliament said the people in the rural areas are forced to use rainwater but those tanks will be rendered meaningless during a prolonged drought.
“What is the point of having tanks for water storage when the rural people do not have piped water supply especially during a drought?
“We have been extremely vocal in asking for more allocation for Sabah to improve the roads, electricity and clean water supplies.
“In the end, the people really in need are forgotten and civil servants are fed with bonuses without any thought of the implication this may cause on workers in the private sector,” he said.
Lajim was commenting on the recent 2013 Budget tabled by Najib on Friday.
“Despite the private sector in the country as having been said to lead Malaysia to become a high-income and developed nation by 2020, Najib did not give any bonus to them,” Lajim said, adding that the Prime Minister should have given a bit of a thought for the workers in the private sector since they also have families and school going children to fend for.
“Private and public sector workers are both important to the development of the nation and Najib should know better. Why can’t he reduce the corporate tax in exchange for bonus for workers employed by private companies?” Lajim asked.