Kit Siang calls for 'Janji Ditepati' RCI, hearings

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has called on the government to form a 'Janji Ditepati' royal commission of inquiry (RCI) or conduct public hearings in Sabah to determine whether the BN-led state and federal governments have lived up to their promises in the state.

He also said that, if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak does not respond to the proposal within two days, Sabah DAP will undertake the task of conducting such public hearings throughout the state.

“The idea of a ‘Janji Ditepati’ series of public hearings in Sabah was born out of the very widespread discontent and even exasperation expressed by Sabahans ...,” Lim said in a statement today.

“(This is over the BN’s) failure ... to fulfill its numerous promises to the people of Sabah to the extent that the slogan “Janji Ditepati” has become quite a joke among Sabahans.”

'Janji Ditepati' (Promises Fulfilled) is the theme of this year's Merdeka celebration.

Noting that Najib has announced the long-delayed RCI into the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah, Lim said many remain sceptical of the government's broken promises.

"In the various talks and ceramahs I’ve had in the past four days… the Sabahans who attended were quite unanimous in expressing their lack of confidence in the RCI as a genuine and sincere solution to the grave four-decade old problem of illegal immigrants in the state," he said.

Among other important promises which Lim claimed the government has failed to fulfill in Sabah are related to crime, corruption and infrastructure neglect.

An example, he said, was the case of Sandakan the capital of British North Borneo for 62 years until 1946. Today, it has lost out to other towns due to neglect.

Pressure on BN
Lim also said it is Pakatan Rakyat that is pressuring the BN to even consider living up to its 'Janji Ditepati' slogan.

"Yesterday, Sabah Chief Minister ...Musa Aman (right) followed the Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud (in saying) the state’s five percent petroleum royalty review issue is open for discussion.

"The people of Sabah and Malaysia will remember that it was only two weeks ago that Musa had dismissed Pakatan’s demand for increase of state oil royalty from five to 20 percent as ‘illogical’.

“But he has now to change position because of Pakatan, the relevance and legitimacy of Pakatan demands and the approaching 13th general election."