By Azmi Salim @ Awee, Ranau Coordinator Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS)
KOTA KINABALU — Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS) Ranau Coordinator Azmi Salim @Aweeg today slammed Barisan Nasional’s (BN) new campaign slogan “Bikin Balik Sabah”, calling it a cruel insult to the intelligence of the people of Sabah after decades of destruction, corruption, and neglect under BN’s rule.
Azmi said BN’s track record from 1994 to 2018 remains one of the darkest chapters in Sabah’s modern history — a period when the state’s wealth was plundered, its institutions weakened, and its people pushed into poverty.
“BN now talks about rebuilding Sabah, but it was BN who destroyed Sabah in the first place.
Mereka ‘bikin rosak Sabah dulu’ — and now they pretend they want to fix the mess they created,” Azmi said.
BN’S LEGACY OF FAILURE AND CORRUPTION
1. RM875 Million Stolen from Yayasan Sabah
During BN’s era, massive corruption involving timber royalties and kickbacks.
When Warisan took over in 2018, the state coffers were nearly empty, and Yayasan Sabah was struggling to survive.
2. Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) Left to Collapse
Once a major employer and industrial asset in Sipitang, SFI was left to rot under BN, later handed to parties with no proven track record — costing Sabahans jobs and economic opportunities.
3. Loss of 288,000 Acres of State Land (SFI) to foreign entity
4. Pitas Prawn Farm Fiasco — RM1 Billion Gone
A flagship BN project that collapsed into bankruptcy, wasting nearly RM1 billion and leaving villagers without the promised jobs or development.
5. Collapse of State-Owned Enterprises (GLCs)
Under BN rule, GLCs like Warisan Harta Sabah, Sabah Shipyard, Sabah Gas Industries, and Sabah Energy Corporation were crippled by mismanagement and political appointments.
Most were eventually liquidated or sold to outsiders.
INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE & NEGLECT
6. Chronic Water & Power Crisis
BN failed for decades to solve Sabah’s water and electricity problems.
Key projects like Telibong 2 and Kogopon were delayed due to corruption, incompetence, and political interference.
7. Roads Still Broken, Promises Still Empty
Despite billions under the Sabah Development Corridor, roads in Nabawan, Pitas, Tongod, and Kalabakan remain dirt tracks.
Roads were only repaired during election cycles.
POVERTY, STAGNATION & LOSS OF OPPORTUNITY
8. Sabah Remained the Poorest State
Under BN, poverty remained among the highest in Malaysia — with rural poverty exceeding 19%.
Sabahans saw little increase in wages or opportunities.
9. Youth Migration & Unemployment
BN failed to create new industries, pushing thousands of Sabah youths to leave for jobs in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
LOSS OF STATE RIGHTS & AUTONOMY
10. 40% Revenue Entitlement Ignored
BN Sabah leaders stayed silent while Putrajaya withheld Sabah’s constitutional rights under Articles 112C and 112D.
Not a single BN Chief Minister demanded the restoration of Sabah’s 40% share.
11. Project IC Betrayal
Under BN, Project IC flourished — altering Sabah’s demographics for political gain and threatening the rights of genuine Sabahans.
ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION
12. Massive Deforestation
BN’s uncontrolled logging concessions devastated Sabah’s forests, enriching cronies while causing floods, landslides, and long-term ecological damage.
“BN HAS NO MORAL RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT REBUILDING SABAH”
“How can BN talk about ‘Bikin Balik Sabah’ when it was BN that destroyed Sabah in the first place?” Azmi asked.
“They left us empty coffers, collapsed GLCs, destroyed forests, and generations trapped in poverty. Sabahans deserve truth, not recycled slogans from those who caused our suffering.”
Azmi said Warisan’s administration in 2018 began the hard work of cleaning up BN’s financial mess — restoring transparency in Yayasan Sabah, initiating institutional reforms, and rebuilding public trust after decades of plunder.
“Sabahans must not be fooled again by the same people who ruined this state.
BN had 24 years — and all they gave us were broken promises, empty coffers, and stolen billions.”
