Pembangkang bangkit Isu wakil Sabah dalam MPOB

Larry Ralon

KOTA KINABALU: Soal perwakilan Sabah dalam Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia (MPOB) ditimbulkan seorang ahli pembangkang semasa sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri di sini Selasa, yang bertanyakan sama ada Kerajaan Negeri akan meminta pertambahan oleh kerana Sabah adalah pengeluar terbesar minyak sawit di negara ini.

Adun Luyang Lemanie Chia, dari Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP) menimbulkan perkara itu dalam soalan tambahannya kepada Menteri Pembangunan Perindustrian Datuk Raymond Tan semasa sesi soal jawab di sini Selasa.

Tan dalam jawapannya berkata, bukan jumlah orang Sabah dalam MPOB yang penting tetapi sama ada ia boleh menyumbang terhadap pembangunan perindustrian ataupun tidak.

"Saya tidak tahu berapa ramai pegawai dalam MPOB tetapi terdapat mereka dari Sabah. Jadi kenapa? Apa yang penting adalah sama ada agensi ini boleh menyumbang terhadap industri itu atau tidak....tetapi adalah mudah bagi saya untuk meminta MPOB menambah perwakilan Sabah dalam agensi itu, itu tidak jadi masalah," katanya.

Terdahulu beliau menuduh Chia mempunyai perasaan sensitif terhadap agensi-agensi kerajaan Persekutuan, yang dijawab oleh Chia bahawa Tan cuba mempolitikkan perkara itu.

Chia queries Sabah’s representation in MPOB

SABAH'S representation in the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) was raised by an opposition member during the State Legislative Assembly sitting, Tuesday, asking if the State Government would ask for an increase given that Sabah is the biggest palm oil producer in the country.

Luyang Assemblywoman Melanie Chia, of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), raised this in her supplementary question to Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan during question time.

Tan, in his response, said it is not the number of Sabahans in the MPOB that is important but whether it can contribute to the industrial development or not.

"I don't know how many officers in the MPOB but ther are those who are from Sabah. So what? What's important is that whether this agency can contribute to the industry or not.. .but it is easy for me to ask MPOB to give more Sabah representation in the agency, that is not a problem,” he said. 

Earlier, he accused Chia of having sensitive feelings towards Federal Government agencies, to which Chia responded that Tan was trying to politicise the matter.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman also stood up, telling Chia that there rs no reason for Sabah not to have control over MPOB because it is an agency under the plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry which is headed by Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who is from Sabah.

Chia interjected that he (Dompok) might be changed in the next round.