Latest news with #Warisan-led
Malaysiakini
4 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Shafie vows action over Sabah graft scandal if Warisan forms state govt
PARLIAMENT | A Warisan-led state government after the next 17th Sabah election will pursue charges against more Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) lawmakers implicated in the mining licence corruption scandal, said party president Shafie Apdal. Debating the 13th Malaysia Plan, the Semporna MP echoed concerns that so far only two assemblypersons have been charged, along with businessperson Albert Tei, who exposed the series of videos that implicated Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor and over a dozen lawmakers.
Daily Express
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Warisan to settle PTPTN debts if possible
Published on: Tuesday, August 05, 2025 Published on: Tue, Aug 05, 2025 By: Abbey Junior Text Size: Warisan president Shafie Apdal congratulating high-scoring secondary school students at an event in his constituency of Semporna, Sabah, today. (Facebook pic) SEMPORNA: Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said a future Warisan-led state government will assist Sabahans in settling their National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans if Yayasan Sabah has sufficient financial resources. He said although PTPTN is a federal agency, the state could do what Sarawak has done by helping its students repay their outstanding loans. Shafie, who is also MP for Semporna and Assemblyman for Senallang, reiterated that this was in line with his earlier pledge in 2018 to restructure Yayasan Sabah to serve its original purpose of empowering Sabahans through education. He also said loan assistance would include civil servants, both active and retired, who are still servicing Yayasan Sabah education loans. 'The foundation must have the money – not other people who use it to buy over our elected representatives,' he said, without elaborating. In 2021, the Sarawak government, through Yayasan Sarawak, signed an MoU with PTPTN to help Sarawak borrowers repay their student loans. Under this scheme, those who had settled at least 30pc of their PTPTN loans were eligible for a 30pc repayment incentive on the remaining balance. Advertisement As of 2023, the initiative had disbursed over RM90 million and benefited more than 25,000 Sarawakian borrowers, with continued allocations in the state budgets for 2024 and 2025. Shafie stressed that education would remain central to Warisan's approach, alongside long-term economic reforms and industrial development. He also took aim at ongoing basic infrastructure problems in Sabah, such as the water crisis at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), calling it a 'human problem' that should not be politicised or used to penalise students. 'This is about basic needs — clean water to drink, bathe and live. When students protest, they are investigated. That's not how we solve problems,' he said. Shafie said that if Warisan is returned to power, the state would focus on building a knowledge-based society, investing in youth, and creating jobs through entrepreneurship and strategic resource development. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Telibong II plant never cancelled by Warisan govt - former director
Amarjit KOTA KINABALU (June 15): The Telibong II water treatment plant was never cancelled by the previous Warisan-led state government, said a former director of the Sabah State Water Department. Datuk Amarjit Singh said the federally funded project was initiated in 2018 to expand capacity from 80 million to 160 million litres per day. He said the original contract for Telibong II was terminated based on a directive from the Federal Ministry of Finance at the time, which applied to public infrastructure projects showing progress of less than 15 per cent. 'At that time, there were three water-related projects under review — Telibong II in Kota Kinabalu, and the Tawau Dam. Of these, only the Tawau Dam project had progressed above the 15 per cent threshold. 'As a result, the Telibong II project was terminated and later re-tendered. Telibong II was subsequently awarded to a new contractor, and construction has continued since,' he said in a statement on Sunday. Amarjit was responding to the recent statement by Datuk Clarence Bongkos Malakun, a member of the Sabah Economic Advisory Council, alleging that the previous Warisan-led state government had sabotaged infrastructure for political convenience by cancelling the Telibong II and Sandakan water treatment plant projects. According to public records, he said the project was already 99.7 per cent complete by late 2024, with remaining works involving pipeline connections and tank installations. Delays were due to implementation coordination, not political interference. As for Sandakan, he said there was never a new water treatment plant planned or cancelled under the state government at the time. The recent focus in Sandakan has been on reactivating existing boreholes, constructing new storage tanks, and stabilising the existing Hilltop water treatment facility, which had temporarily shut down due to raw water shortages. 'There is no record of any shelved or cancelled WTP project in Sandakan, making the accusation factually incorrect. 'With regard to the Tawau Dam, also known as the Cinta Mata water supply project, construction began during the same period and continued with the same contractor. 'The project encountered delays primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic and logistical challenges but was never halted or cancelled. Public documentation confirms the project remains active, with completion now targeted for 2026. 'These are facts supported by public records and official project status reports. It is important that discussions about Sabah's water infrastructure are grounded in truth, not distorted by political narratives. 'Misinformation only distracts from the real work needed to improve water delivery for the people of Sabah,' said Amarjit who led the State Water Department when Warisan was the state government.
Daily Express
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
‘Non-Muslims should oversee their affairs'
Published on: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 Published on: Tue, May 13, 2025 Text Size: Daniel proposed several reforms, including renaming and restructuring the Native Affairs Council and Department to reflect their true role in safeguarding indigenous customs and appointing qualified indigenous professionals, not political figures, to lead these institutions. Kota Kinabalu: Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation President Daniel John Jambun called on the State Government to reform the Native Court to ensure it receives the same legal recognition and institutional support as the Syariah and civil courts. He criticised the lack of progress in strengthening the Native Court despite five years under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration. 'What reforms have been made to professionalise the Native Court or the Department of Native Affairs? The answer, unfortunately, is none,' he said in a statement. He pointed out that previous efforts to reform the court under the Warisan-led government were halted after the 2020 change in leadership. 'Native Affairs, which governs the customs and legal traditions of Sabah's non-Muslim indigenous communities, is currently managed by Muslim officials with little expertise in indigenous laws. 'This is unfair and unconstitutional. The Syariah Court is run by qualified Muslim professionals, yet non-Muslim natives are denied the same autonomy over their own customary laws,' he said. He cited Sarawak as a model, where the Majlis Adat Istiadat Negeri Sarawak operates independently, free from interference by civil or Syariah courts. Daniel proposed several reforms, including renaming and restructuring the Native Affairs Council and Department to reflect their true role in safeguarding indigenous customs and appointing qualified indigenous professionals, not political figures, to lead these institutions. Additionally, he proposed elevating the Native Court to equal standing with the civil and Syariah courts under Sabah's judicial system and forming an Independent Reform Commission to review and modernise the Native Court. 'We are not asking for special treatment. We are demanding the equality promised under the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),' he said. He said further delays would only deepen discrimination and erode indigenous rights. 'This is not a partisan issue, it is about justice, dignity and upholding Sabah's legal heritage,' he said, adding 'How much longer must our communities wait?' * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
