SANDAKAN – Preparations in welcoming the nation’s ruler and his family to Sabah, including major road repairs and street cleaning, only go to show that major improvements are pretty much possible as long as there is public and government will to do so.
The state’s sudden transformation was evident as locals witnessed the preparations made by the government three weeks before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s Kembara Kenali Borneo programme in the state.
Although repairs were far from being completed on a long-term basis, locals experienced noticeable improvements – especially for infrastructure such as roads and street lights throughout various towns in the East Malaysian state.
Additionally, Sabah’s east coast districts including Tawau, Lahad Datu and Sandakan also appeared cleaner than usual.
The monarch’s tour of the Bornean states, which began on September 3 in Tawau, covers a 600-km exploration in Sabah before proceeding to Sarawak’s segment of the Pan-Borneo Highway.
The extensive journey covers a total of 2,154km, involving a 25-vehicle convoy, with the tour expected to culminate on September 13 at Sarawak’s Telok Melano.
Last week, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said the Ranau-Kinabatangan road had undergone repairs to ensure a comfortable ride for the royal couple during the tour.
Despite these repairs, there were still many badly damaged roads that the royal family had traversed during their tour.
There was even a stretch of road from Sandakan to Ranau that was only repaired on a single lane – the one which the royal family was scheduled to travel on.
Social media videos also showed locals who had waited at the roadside to greet the king taking the opportunity to inform the ruler about Sabah’s poor road conditions and flooding problems.
A woman from Sandakan also managed to pass a note to Raja Pemaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, expressing that Sabah did not want to be left out from modernisation and sought to be as developed as other states.
It is safe to say that the king had seen Sabah’s poor state of affairs following the 759-km journey throughout the state in the span of five days.
Despite this being Al-Sultan Abdullah’s last trip to the state in his capacity as Agong, he pledged to convey the complaints and grievances received during his tour to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s federal government.
“I will not voice these concerns here, but I will use them as a reminder during my visit and express them later,” the king said at a state dinner at the Sabah International Convention Centre in Kota Kinabalu last Wednesday.
Sabahan aspirations following the tour
Karamunting assemblyman George Hiew expressed his wish that federal ministers would emulate the king and tour Sabah to get first-hand experience of its poorly maintained roads.
“Sabahans always say that the federal ministers in Putrajaya should come and drive on Sabah roads to understand the problem truly, but who would have thought that the king would be the one to do it first,” he told Scoop.
He stressed that a region’s development relies heavily on the condition of its infrastructure – namely roads, electricity and water supply – as they affect not only the decision of foreign investors but also tourists.
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre founder Wong Siew Te told Scoop he was happy that the king had made a brief visit to Sepilok, and hoped that it would attract more attention to wildlife conservation efforts in Sabah, especially in Sandakan.
“The king broke the record for being the first ever Agong to visit Sepilok and drive in Sabah,” said Wong.
“His Majesty is truly amazing and inspirational. I hope this tour will set an example for the future kings to follow.” – September 10, 2023