United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) president Wilfred Madius Tangau said those in Sabah and Sarawak worked as hard as anyone else, adding that this was part of their culture.
“Mahathir, you are very wrong. Sabahans and Sarawakians are survivors. It is our culture to do our best for ourselves and our families,” he said, adding that they were no less hard-working than “Mahathir’s billionaire sons”.
“Our ethos, mentality and integrity cannot be questioned, especially by Mahathir who took our resources to build his ‘glamour projects’ in Peninsular Malaysia.”
Tangau said such projects included the KLCC Twin Towers, Putrajaya and the Formula One racing circuit in Sepang, all of which he claimed were constructed while Sabah and Sarawak were deprived of development funds.
Mahathir, the country’s longest serving prime minister, recently attributed the slower progress in the two states compared with the peninsula to “greedy” politicians and complacent people.
However, Tangau said Mahathir himself had neglected Sabah and Sarawak throughout his 22-year reign, adding that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman’s “excuses” were a bid for personal vengeance against Prime Minister Najib Razak.
“To add insult to injury, Mahathir also continues to justify the need for his Project IC. He never has and never will apologise for this chapter that caused so many socio-economic problems for Sabah.
“No one in Sabah and Sarawak should place their trust in Mahathir or those who continue to associate with him. Doing so means that you agree with Mahathir calling us lazy and having a poor mentality compared to the people in Malaya.”
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Johnny Mositun meanwhile said Mahathir was to blame for the slow development in the states.
“Over the 22 years of his leadership, the chief ministers of Sabah and Sarawak were his men, except for the few years that PBS ruled as an opposition party.
“If they were ‘greedy’ as he claims, it was his prerogative and within his considerable executive and political powers to bring them to heel, but he never did.”
Under Mahathir’s administration, Mositun said, Sabah had experienced unparalleled federal executive and political hegemony that enriched federal leaders and Mahathir’s cronies.
He also claimed that Mahathir had used development funds as a “weapon” to “punish” Sabah after PBS toppled Berjaya and declined to form a coalition government with Usno.
“Out of spite and anger towards PBS, a democratically elected government, he tried to bankrupt Sabah without a thought for the innocent citizens.”
He added that the export of logs from Sabah had ended following PBS rule, and that it would be interesting to know whom Mahathir had been referring to in his comment on those who preferred to sell their timber abroad for quick profits.
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