Speaking to FMT, Ramlee said Shafie had actually been in a better position to help Sabahans during his tenure as Umno vice-president and rural and regional development minister.
“Being the party’s vice-president meant Shafie was the third most powerful man in the country after the president and deputy president because Umno is the pillar of the BN government.
“As a federal minister, he had the opportunity to appoint Sabahans, at least in his ministry, but until the day he was removed, not a single civil servant from Sabah was ever recommended by him or appointed at the federal level. This is something the people should think about,” he said.
On the other hand, Ramlee said, Mohammad Mentek, a Bajau from Semporna, had been appointed urban wellbeing, housing and local government ministry secretary-general by Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who previously held the ministerial portfolio.
Following this, the appointment of other Sabahans ensued, such as Inland Revenue Board CEO Sabin Samitah, Malaysian Cocoa Board director-general Norhaini Udin, education director-general Amin Senin and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry deputy secretary-general Ramzah Dambul.
Ramlee said Sabahans also make up about 80% of civil servants in the federal departments in the state, including the Customs Department, Education Department, Immigration Department, National Registration Department, Sabah Federal Development Department and the UMS vice-chancellor’s office.
“While Musa never said anything about this achievement in uplifting Sabahan civil servants’ status, the record speaks for itself.
“The truth is, thanks to Musa’s leadership many of our Sabahan civil servants were given the faith to lead at the federal level and our politicians were given important roles, including as senior ministers and ambassadors,” he said.
Drop in poverty rate
Ramlee, who is also the state assistant finance minister, said since Musa’s appointment as chief minister in 2003, Sabah’s reserve had grown from RM184 million to RM3.74 billion in 2017, a 138% growth annually.
He said the poverty rate in the state had also dropped from 19.8% in 2009 to 2.9% last year while the acreage of permanent forest had grown from 838,000 hectares in 2002 to 1.8 million hectares in 2017.
Politically, he said Musa who first led the state election in 2004 and again in 2008 and 2013, had consistently ensured a two-thirds majority and significantly contributed to BN parliamentary seats.
“In terms of the state cabinet and state civil service, one can see that every race is represented, including the minorities. This shows that Musa is not a leader for only a certain group or race, but for all,” he said.
Ramlee also expressed disappointment over a video showing Shafie questioning Musa’s family origins.
“Musa’s mother was a Dusun while his ancestors on his father’s side were of Suluk Bajau descent,” he said.
“That is why we should evaluate leaders by their record, not what they said like what Shafie and other Warisan leaders are doing. The fact is, Shafie was once given a huge responsibility when he was in Umno, but he failed.
“He was given RM7.5 billion in funds to develop Sabah’s rural areas but now, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating the alleged misappropriation of a total of RM1.5 billion from that fund,” Ramlee said.
“Musa walks the talk when he is in power unlike Shafie who only spews rhetoric and promises when no longer in power.”
Warisan: Sabah govt not serious in solving housing price issue