KOTA KINABALU, June 27 — Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) today called out Warisan for continuing two controversial projects that it once criticised when they were mooted by Barisan Nasional (BN) previously.
PBS information chief Datuk said that the government’s “U-turn” on the Papar dam, previously known as the Kaiduan dam, and the Tanjung Aru Eco-Development (TAED) projects was an acknowledgement that the previous government had the foresight to hasten Sabah’s economic development.
“At the rate of the flip-flop decisions being made, this Warisan-led coalition state government should be known as a ‘U-turn government’,” he said in a statement here today.
“Prior to the 14th general election, those in the present coalition state government objected to these developments, exploiting it as their campaign issues and telling the people the projects were of no benefit to them and the state.
“And now these very same people have made a 180-degree turnaround and telling the people that the projects must be continued in view of its immense benefits to the state.
“This is ironic. It’s tantamount to admitting that they have been wrong for objecting to the developments previously,” he said.
The Kiulu assemblyman was also puzzled by the silence of non-government leaders who had previously scrutinised and opposed the project, but who were now part of the government.
“Why are they not speaking up now? Do they know something that we don’t know?” he said, asking for those involved to explain their silence or change of mind.
Earlier today, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said that the two projects would proceed, albeit with a new site for the dam as well as being a hydroelectric dam, and in the case of TAED, be downscaled from the previous plans.
The two projects received widespread objections when they were mooted by the previous government from NGOs and opposition members, and it was reported that Warisan vice president Datuk Junz Wong promised TAED would be scrapped if Warisan formed government.
However, he denied this yesterday after being called out for going against his election promise.
Wong, who is also Tanjung Aru assemblyman, said he was never against the (TAED) project but said that the state government was in the midst of negotiations with the developer of the project.
Yesterday, Opposition Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) also took the state government to task for going against their promise to scrap the projects.
He said that both Wong and deputy chief minister Datuk Christina Liew had objected to the TAED project during their opposition days and promised it would be scrapped once they formed the government.
