TAWAU: Kalabakan member of parliament Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh yesterday refuted a claim that he had left Umno.
The Kalabakan Umno Division chief said talk of him having left Umno was just a rumour, apparently spread by individuals unhappy with his being outspoken in parliament recently.
“I was firm in expressing the rights of the Sabah people in the Dewan Rakyat because that is my responsibility as an elected representative.
“I want the problems of the people, especially the constituents of Kalabakan, to be given appropriate attention.
“However, when I voice out the people’s problems or issues, it does not mean that I want to leave the party. I am just carrying out my responsibility as an elected representative,” he said in a statement.
Ghapur had recently in parliament called for development projects in Sabah to be given to locals there instead of wealthy companies from the peninsula.
He said the Pan Borneo Highway was one infrastructure project that should be awarded to Sabahans to benefit the state economy.
Ghapur also said that the voters from the Eastern Malaysian state will not hesitate to vote differently if they continue to be neglected .
He lamented that the federal government has continued to treat Sabah like a “step-child” even after the state chose to unite and form Malaysia 51 years ago, noting that most of its indigenous inhabitants remain poor despite claims of national growth.
On another matter, Ghapur yesterday thanked the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for responding to his recent request in Parliament to monitor the waters off Tawau.
“To eliminate smuggling effectively, I hope all agencies involved, including the MMEA, Customs and the Tawau Municipal Council, can work together, while the people should help by providing information,” he said.
He said he also hoped that the government would consider providing MMEA with more assets to enable more effective monitoring of the country’s waters.