By Daniel John Jambun Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)
KOTA KINABALU: Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Federal Government’s latest move, announced by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to hand over 83 rural water projects in Sabah after years of delay and failure.
Let us be absolutely clear:
This is not decentralisation.
This is not reform.
This is Putrajaya retreating after failure — and pushing the consequences onto Sabah.
1. TEN YEARS OF FAILURE — NOW CONVENIENTLY HANDED OVER
For nearly a decade, these projects were:
fully controlled by the Federal Government
funded through federal allocations
managed by federal agencies
And what is the result?
incomplete systems
delayed delivery
rural Sabahans still without reliable access to clean water
Now, suddenly, Sabah is told to “take over.”
This is not cooperation.
This is a bailout of federal failure — at Sabah’s expense.
2. PUTRAJAYA WANTS SABAH TO FIX THE PROBLEM — BUT REFUSES TO RETURN SABAH’S RIGHTS
BoPiMaFo notes the most revealing statement of all:
The Federal Government has openly declared that this move has nothing to do with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
That single statement exposes the truth.
Putrajaya is willing to:
hand over problems
hand over liabilities
hand over failed projects
But refuses to:
restore constitutional autonomy
honour MA63 commitments
recognise Sabah’s equal status in the Federation
This is not devolution. This is exploitation.
3. SHIFTING BLAME — NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY
For years, the failure of these projects was a federal failure.
Now, with one announcement:
Sabah becomes responsible
Sabah becomes accountable
Sabah becomes the political shield
BoPiMaFo warns:
Putrajaya cannot fail for ten years and then walk away when the consequences arrive.
If these projects collapse again:
The responsibility remains federal — fully and squarely.
4. RM4 BILLION WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY IS A RECIPE FOR ANOTHER DISASTER
83 projects.
Over RM4 billion.
A decade of unresolved issues.
And yet—
Where is:
the audit of past failures?
the identification of responsible parties?
the public disclosure of project status?
Without accountability, this is not recovery.
This is recycling failure under a different manager.
5. THE PATTERN IS CLEAR — SABAH IS ONLY TRUSTED WHEN IT IS CONVENIENT
When it comes to:
resources
revenue
constitutional rights
Sabah is told to wait.
But when it comes to:
fixing failed projects
managing federal shortcomings
absorbing public dissatisfaction
Sabah is suddenly “trusted.”
This is not partnership. This is selective federalism.
6. THE REAL ISSUE PUTRAJAYA IS AVOIDING
Let us not be distracted by administrative gestures.
The real issues remain:
Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement under the Federal Constitution
Sabah’s rights under MA63
Sabah’s fiscal and administrative autonomy
decades of systemic governance failure imposed from the centre
Until these are addressed:
Every “handover” is nothing more than damage control.
SABAH IS NOT A CLEAN-UP CREW FOR FEDERAL FAILURE
BoPiMaFo states firmly:
Sabah is not:
a contractor to fix federal incompetence
a dumping ground for failed policies
a political buffer to absorb national embarrassment
Sabah is a founding partner of Malaysia.
And its rights are:
not negotiable
not optional
not subject to federal convenience.
A STRONG MESSAGE TO PUTRAJAYA
You cannot:
deny Sabah its constitutional rights
centralise power for decades
mismanage critical infrastructure
and then expect Sabah to quietly fix the consequences
Sabah is no longer asking. Sabah is demanding accountability.
“If Putrajaya cannot govern Sabah fairly — it has no moral authority to control Sabah at all.”
