Tuaran MP: With lack of opportunities, Sabah youth may be forced to look for jobs in Indonesia

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau tonight stressed that Malaysia needs to prioritise Sabah and Sarawak, especially in terms of creating job opportunities for the youth in the state.

During an online forum with several of Pakatan Harapan’s top leaders that was streamed on the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) Facebook page, Wilfred said more industries needed to be developed and investments increased to create job opportunities for the youth.

“Nowadays a lot of young people from Sabah are going to Johor, Klang Valley or Penang, because only there they have job opportunities.

“In the end, when problems like Covid-19 arise, many Sabahans in Kuala Lumpur sleep under bridges, because they lost their jobs there.

“I am very afraid that in 2025, when Indonesia moves its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan East, many people from Sabah will be moving to Kalimantan to find jobs because we failed to create jobs in Sabah. And I think this would be very embarrassing for Malaysia,” he said.

Wilfred said Pakatan Harapan must think about how it can take Sabah’s perspective into consideration in terms of creating job opportunities.

He also expressed his view that Malaysia needs to decentralise its power from the federal government and give more authority to Sabah and Sarawak.

He added that policymakers should learn to think of Sabah and Sarawak first when it comes to policies, as the two states make up for more than 60 per cent of land in Malaysia.

“Maybe one day Malaysia’s capital will be in Sabah, Sarawak… who knows, it is possible,” he said, touting Indonesia’s move to relocate its capital as an example.

Wilfred was speaking at the forum, titled “Upko Together with the Pakatan Harapan Struggle” together with three other panellists, namely, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.