By C C Pung, J.P
A Sabah minister talked about ‘sustainable conservation’ recently without, typically, any example or elaborating.
I’m interested to know because I think it’s a grand sounding phrase that simply meant conservation.
To me, to sustain is an integral part of conservation.
The minister recklessly tossing out such proclamation is akin to a quack doctor lying about some ancient May and cure for cancer and hoping for unquestioning suckers.
There are plenty of those near where I live.
I’m thinking …. if I have a situation and the doctor examining me has no name for it, what chance do I have that he’ll find a way to heal me?
This doctor either does not know the condition or couldn’t identify the condition.
Either way I’m doomed.
Malaysia takes over as Chairman of ASEAN this year.
This happens once in 10 years.
It’s an opportunity to do many things that’ll benefit the regional grouping, particularly Malaysia.
With ASEAN is a thing called BIMP-EAGA(Brunei- lndonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area).
Aside from Brunei which is in EAGA as a nation, the territories covered in the three other countries are typified by their distance from their respective capitals, sizable population, under developed, large land area and rich natural resources.
The sub-Asean bloc was created 30 years ago because of its remoteness from the capitals and, ironically, it is being overlooked exactly for the same reason.
Instead of rallying to exploit EAGA’s 80+ million population, their combined GDP strength of about 25% of Asean’s total, BIMP EAGA’s lack of success despite frequent conferences and big banquets has earned it the unsavoury name ‘bring in many people, eat and go away’.
While the Sabah tourism was, at least, responding to the occasion of the golden anniversary of the Sabah Parks, her government as a whole has been conspicuously quiet on developments that are sure to impact Sabah, irrespective if the ministers are tone deaf or have zero cognitive bilities.
They have been quiet also when the Budget 2025 was unveiled a few months ago.
I haven’t heard a thing about Sabah’s wish list in the 13th Malaysia Plan 2026-2030 which is in the final lap of drafting.
Our leaders big-mouthed often about being ‘sttrategic’ be in about planning, partnership, perspectives.
I often wonder if they were just echoing a word without really understand what it entails.
Don’t they sea Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship as a strategic opportunity to push the Eaga agenda to becoming front page discourse at the top level?
Some commentators opined recently that the slow progress in Malaysia is caused by the low quality of politicians elected to the state Assemblies and Parliament.
Well, these people don’t elect themselves. They’ve been put there by the voters, you and me.
May be it’s time we demand explanation in, for example, ‘sustainable conservation’, or whether ‘ham’ can be made with chicken, or if it made sense that an ‘agreement’ (like MA63), after having been breached for 60+ years, should be enforced or negotiated?
I’m beginning to feel that the ‘ah long’ in our midst should be hired to collect what’s outstanding from the federal govt.
Cheers. Sabah Maju Jaya.
(Trust me, I don’t know what lm talking about.)
Editor: The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of talantang.com
