DAP calls on Federal Government to immediately establish a full university in Sabah
Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Li in Kit Slang, yesterday called on the Federal Government, to immediately establish a full university in Sabah.
Lim was speaking in Parliament on the committee stage of the Education Ministry on the 1993 supplementary supply and development, estimates, which provided for an allocation for Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
Lim said welcomed the establishment of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, stating that the DAP had been calling for such a university in Sarawak inside and outside Parliament since the 1970s.
He said the time has also come for the immediate establishment, of a full university in Sabah and called -on the Federal Government to give its approval,
DAP calls for a masterplan to resolve the electricity woes of the people of Sabah
Later, during the debate on the supplementary development estimates for the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts on the RM36.2 million allocation to Sabah Electricity Board for electricity infrastructure projects in Tawau, Sandakan and Tuaran, called on the Federal Government to implement a masterplan to resolve the electricity woes of the people of Sabah.
Lim told the Minister for Energy, Telekoms arid Posts. Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu that such a major electricity programme in Sabah was urgent and necessary as the electricity supply problem was the worst in the whole country, exceeding many times the ‘national energy crisis’ currently being faced by Peninsular Malaysia.
He said that when he visited Sarawak, it did not suffer from this problem of constant and prolonged electricity breakdowns.
Lim stressed that although there may be political differences between the Sabah state and Federal Governments, the people of Sabah are also Malaysians citizens and they are entitled to basic amenities; like electricity supply which is the responsibility of the Federal Government in Sabah.
Samy Vellu gave assurance in Parliament that the Sabah Electricity Board General Manager would be removed in a week
Lim also hit out at the Sabah Electricity Board for its poor services, indifferent attitudes and bad public relationship.
He said that Samy Yellu, as the Minister in charge of the Sabah Electricity Board, should visit Sabah more regularly instead of making ‘regular’ trips to India and Madras, and to resolve the electricity supply problem in Sabah.
Lim said that Sabah Electricity Board was the worst government body in Sabah, heading the list which received the most public complaints and curses.
He said that when he visited Sabah in June 1992, he had publicly criticised the Sabah Electricity Board for its poor services, resulting in constant and prolonged electricity breakdowns, as well as the indifference and incompetence of the Sabah Electricity Board, led by the Sabah Electricity Board General Manager.
Lira recalled that the complaints by the people of Sabah in Tawau, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu were so prevalent and scandalous that he had called for a total shake-up of the Sabah Electricity Board starting with the sacking of the Sabah Electricity Board General Manager.
Lim said that although after his open criticisms of the Sabah Electricity Board in June 1992, there was slight improvement his latest reports were that the situation has become as bad as before .
In his reply, Samy Vellu said that he had visited Sabah twice recently, and he had discovered that the Sabah Electricity Board General Manager was not suitable or ‘fit’ for the job.
The Minister said he did not have the power to ‘sack’ the Sabah Electricity Board General Manager as suggested by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, as he was seconded front Tenaga Nasional Bhd.
However, he had recommended that the Sabah Electricity Board General Manager be replaced, this time by a Sabahan.
When pressed by Lim as to when this change would take place, Samy Vellu said “in a week”.
In his speech, Lim spoke of the hardships and inconveniences suffered by the people of Sabah, particularly in Tawau and Sandakan, as a result of the poor electricity supply situation in the state.
Computers in banks, financial institutions and commercial houses were damaged with the constant power interruptions, while hotels and commercial houses were compelled to incur heavy costs to acquire their own generators.
In Sandakan, the constant power failures have also resulted in water shortage crisis, as the water pumps could net work without electricity. This had created enormous hardships-particularly in higher areas in Sandakan where there was inadequate water pressure.
Issued by DAP Headquarters Publicity Bureau
Friday, July 30, 1993.