For a few days, Pitas, one of the poorest districts in Malaysia, was in the limelight and the locals, as well as other Sabahans, dared to hope that it would be the real deal and riches would come their way.
But more than that, they hoped that this would mark the end of the government’s neglect of Pitas and that the district would really strike gold through the upgrading of basic infrastructure and the opening of business opportunities.
From comments on social media, it is clear that many are annoyed that it had to take a “gold rush” to make the authorities show attention to Pitas.
“The moment there was news about gold being found in Pitas, it was as if everyone suddenly cared about the place to the point of sending police to monitor the area,” said one netizen.
Political economist Firdausi Suffian understands the people’s frustrations.
Speaking to FMT, he said a lot of resources and profits had been taken from Sabah but little had been channelled back to the state and its people.
“So any new discovery like the gold thing excites people,” he said. “What’s more, this was in Pitas.
“Further, this was after a health crisis, when a lot of people had suffered and lost their jobs.
“The infrastructure there is not up to mark but, at the same time, we see the rich enjoying life.
“So we feel that anything that is discovered is ours. It’s a new opportunity that no one should take away. I think this is what was on the back of every Sabahan’s mind.”
Pitas, regarded as one the most underdeveloped areas in Sabah, is listed in the 12th Malaysia Plan as among the country’s poorest districts.
It has often been in the news for the wrong reasons.
Large tracts of mangrove forests were cleared to make way for a shrimp aquaculture project in 2014, but the project never lived up to its promise of providing thousands of jobs for people in the district.
Economist James Alin said it was understandable that Pitas residents, after such a bitter disappointment, had high expectations when news of a gold discovery broke.
The previous Warisan-led government withdrew the previous administration’s approval to exploit an additional 400ha of mangrove land in Kampung Taka.
Junz Wong, who was then state agriculture and food industry minister, said the decision was made after considering the effect on the environment of the destruction of the mangroves.
And then there was the viral “tree girl” video.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah student Veveonah Mosibin, who hails from the village of Sanabalang Pitas, posted a video showing her spending 24 hours on a tree in the jungle just to get internet connection so she could sit for her online exam.
With so many past disappointments and the lack of basic infrastructure, “the hype over the gold is like a manifestation of the people’s hopes and frustrations,” Alin told FMT.
“They are actually saying to the authorities not to only look at their district when there are economic opportunities.
“There are still villages without water and electricity there. Worse, some villages, including where the pyrite was found, have electricity poles but no electricity.”
Alin said Sabahans now had a higher consciousness of what they deserve from the government.
“That’s a good thing,” he said. “The federal government can no longer ignore the plight of Sabahans and pledges made through the Malaysia Agreement 1963.”