Hire experts, not loyalists - Warisan
KOTA KINABALU (July 9): Parti Warisan information chief Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman has hit back at State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun's recent statement that Sabah is 'not ready' to directly participate in bidding for oil blocks, calling it an excuse that exposes the real problem with how the state's resources have been managed.
'With due respect, Datuk Seri, your statement that Sabah is 'not ready' reveals more about how our resources have been handled so far: distributing concessions to cronies and sub-contractors, letting others do the work, while the government merely collects 'percent-percent',' Azis said in a statement on Tuesday.
Azis argued that if the state genuinely lacks technical expertise, there should be no excuse not to recruit the right people.
'If we claim we lack expertise, why not recruit and appoint true experts? Find and hire qualified professionals, not political loyalists whose only skill is 'samun dan jilat',' he said, adding that Sabah must start somewhere if it ever hopes to gain experience.
'Every million always starts with number one. Waiting forever keeps Sabah permanently at the margins of its own wealth,' he stressed.
Addressing concerns over funding, Azis pointed out that the state government had previously issued almost RM1 billion in SUKUK to settle legacy debts, including buying vessels worth hundreds of millions, the whereabouts of which, he claimed, remain unknown.
'So don't tell us it's impossible to raise funds for SMJ Energy to participate upstream and downstream in Sabah's resource-rich waters,' he said, adding that smart partnerships with credible investors could also be pursued, but with Sabah retaining control over management and its natural resources.
Azis also questioned how much experience Petronas contractors had when they first ventured into upstream and downstream operations.
'If those companies were 'ready' back then, why can't Sabah — or SMJ Energy — also be ready now?' he asked.
Taking aim at Masidi's oft-cited mantra of 'kerja diam-diam tapi hasil ada' (quiet work, but results are there), Azis countered that the reality on the ground tells a different story.
'It's ironic to hear about 'kerja diam-diam tapi hasil ada' when in reality, Sabah's oil wealth still leaves our shores, and our people see so little,' he said.
For Azis, the real issue is not Sabah's readiness but whether its leaders are truly prepared to prioritize the people's interest over political convenience and the sub-contracting of opportunities to cronies.
'True leadership doesn't wait for perfect conditions. True leadership means starting now — building expertise, controlling our resources, and ensuring Sabah finally benefits directly from the wealth beneath our own soil and sea,' he said.
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