From Awareness to Discipline — The Year Sabah Must Act
By Daniel John Jambun, President Change Advocate Movement of Sabah (CAMOS)
Fellow Sabahans,
A new year is not a time for empty celebration.
It is a time for honest reflection — and for resolve.
For too long, Sabah has comforted itself with words.
We have listened to speeches, slogans, and promises.
We have waited for the next announcement, the next plan, the next election.
But let us be clear with ourselves:
talking alone has never built a road, supplied water, created jobs, or secured a future for our children.
A Lesson Sabah Must Learn
There was a time when Sabahans were not fully aware of our rights, our resources, or our standing within this federation. That chapter is closed.
Today, Sabahans are more informed than ever before.
We know about MA63.
We know about our constitutional revenue entitlement.
We know what has been denied — and for how long.
But knowledge alone does not change a nation.
Awareness without discipline becomes frustration.
Awareness without execution becomes anger.
Awareness without courage becomes endless waiting.
The hard truth is this: Sabah’s greatest challenge today is not ignorance, but the failure to turn awareness into action.
Sabah’s Problem Has Never Been a Lack of Resources
Sabah is rich in land, energy, biodiversity, and human talent.
What we have lacked is not potential — but discipline in governance, consistency in execution, and the courage to make difficult decisions.
We tolerate failure for too long.
We postpone reform to the next election.
We accept explanations where results are required.
This must end.
From Hope to Discipline
History teaches us that success does not come from grand declarations, but from quiet, relentless competence.
Others who began with far less than Sabah succeeded not because they talked more — but because they governed with clarity, discipline, and accountability.
Sabah does not need more speeches explaining our rights.
We need institutions strong enough to enforce them.
Sabah does not need more promises to “look into” problems.
We need leaders prepared to decide, to act, and to be held accountable.
A Call for a New Sabah Mindset
The year ahead must mark a shift:
From slogans to systems
From complaints to capability
From dependency to self-confidence
From waiting to disciplined action
Real reform is not dramatic. It is methodical.
Real progress is not loud. It is consistent.
The Year Ahead
This new year must be the year Sabah moves forward — not emotionally, but institutionally.
A year where:
governance is measured by results, not rhetoric
public office is treated as responsibility, not entitlement
and Sabahans demand discipline from those who govern in our name
CAMOS believes Sabah can rise — not because we hope, but because we choose to govern differently.
The future of Sabah will not be given.
It must be built — patiently, firmly, and with discipline.
May this new year be the year Sabah finally acts.
Selamat Tahun Baharu.
