KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The brother of Universiti Sabah Malaysia student Veveonah Mosibin has invited Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin to visit Kampung Sepatalang in Pitas and other Sabah’s villages so he can understand their internet connection woes.
Mekvin Mosibin told the Padang Besar MP that it was better to find out first hand their complaints rather than get information from secondary sources.
“You will feel the lives of the villages, only then will you know instead of just sending letters back and forth from the wrong people,” he said in a Facebook post last night.
Mekvin reminded the MP of his responsibilities in holding public office and not to be concerned only during election season.
“Once you have won you choose only that which pleases you, giving money to your followers who do not know how to manage things, yet alone are aware if they are managed properly.
“So come on down to the interior villages, but do not be selective and visit all the villages as part of your job scope and authority. Try using the Internet there and see how it feels, and this is not even talking about water, electricity, or the roads,” Mekvin said.
He told Zahidi that life for villagers in Sabah’s interior was not limited to their internet connectivity problems but encompassed basic infrastructure, including roads.
He suggested the deputy minister use a motorcycle instead of a car.
“My sister made and uploaded the video onto YouTube to share what life is like in our village, how difficult it is to learn and how education is beneficial. My sister and family do not ask for any form of donations or aid.
“Yet there are those who remain political and stubborn, who for some reason are unhappy to see villagers achieve a measure of success. YB, your power is in the hands of the rakyat, who supported you in becoming an MP or deputy minister,” Mekvin said.
He added that Zahidi has seemingly forgotten those who helped him achieve power.
Mekvin also criticised Zahidi for relying on Kudat MP Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri for information. Abdul Rahim was widely criticised for claiming in a since-deleted Facebook post that Veveonah lived in town and her family no longer had a house in Kampung Sepatalang where she claimed to climb a tree to sit for her exams.
“YB Abdul Rahim got his info on Kampung Sepatalang from [village head] Elwin Madisa. He and his wife were formerly with the village management committee and who kicked out my father. Elwin himself is not from Kampung Sepatalang.
“This information is inaccurate and a source of discontent for me. If you do not know what the problems in the village are but insist on interfering, in the end you become a YB who knows nothing but merely makes random content,” he said.
Mekvin explained that although he was born and grew up in Kampung Sepatalang, the last time his family was there was at the end of 2006 or 2007.
“We moved out to Pitas town as my father had to work, I was in Form One at the time in SMK Pitas. YB Abdul Rahim, you said we have no house in Kampung Sepatalang, which is true because it was torn down since it was derelict.
“This is an important message from me to YB and the understanding Malaysian rakyat. The rakyat have the power over the leaders. I am uninterested in your politics, but do not sully the good intentions of the rakyat and wishes of the villagers with it,” he said.
Zahidi came under fire after criticising Veveonah for faking her online exam to gain more views for her YouTube channel.
She had earlier uploaded the video in June, which showed her spending a day in a tree in the jungle to obtain the strongest Internet connection for her online examinations.
The deputy minister later issued an apology to Vevenoah, saying that he was given inaccurate information which led him to criticise her.
