Armizan labels Bung Moktar ‘most failed minister’ in history

TAWAU – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) deputy secretary-general Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali says Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin is the most failed minister in human history.

He had sharply criticised the former Sabah works minister, claiming that the latter's tenure set Sabah back by two years.

Armizan said Bung’s alleged failures were clearest in the long-standing water and electricity issues that showed no improvement during his time in office.

"During the two years Bung Moktar served as Sabah’s Works Minister, no major water supply stabilisation projects were implemented," he said.

"For example, in Tawau, the Cinta Mata 2 Water Treatment Plant project was only carried out after he was no longer in the Works Ministry. It began on July 22 and is expected to be completed on July 22, 2028.

"In my area in Papar as well, the upgrade project for the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant, which had been planned much earlier, was only able to start in August 2023, after he was no longer in the Works Ministry and Datuk Ir Shahelmy Yahya became the new minister.

"Both of these projects were already in the planning stage and as Works Minister, don’t point fingers at others for the failures," he said at the launching of the GRS youth machinery event for the Tanjung Batu State Assembly in Tawau on Tuesday night.

Armizan said Bung’s successor had proven the projects could move forward.

He said another new project, the Balung Dua Water Treatment Plant was scheduled to begin in 2026.

Regarding the electricity issue, particularly the regulatory power over electricity, Armizan said it was officially transferred to the Sabah government only on Jan 3, 2024 after 41 years being under federal control since 1983.

He further explained that Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) remained majority-owned by the Federal Government through Tenaga Nasional Berhad, making it unfair to shift blame solely onto the GRS government.

"While serving as Works Minister, even though electricity was not under the ministry’s responsibilities, Bung always wanted to show his authority.

"Bung pushed for two Umno division chiefs in Sabah to be appointed to the SESB board through the Malaysian Energy Minister (from Umno), based on his own recommendation," he said.

He questioned the effectiveness of these Umno-linked representatives, stating "what were the contributions and achievements of Umno representatives in SESB and the Umno Energy Minister in resolving Sabah’s electricity issues?"

He said these Umno representatives had clearly failed.

Armizan asserted that real progress only began once Bung and Umno were no longer part of the Sabah state administration.

He added that several stabilisation projects had since begun, including the Southern Link Phase One grid network to the East Coast starting in 2024.

"It is fate that Bung left the state government as a ‘failed minister’, allowing many water and electricity supply stabilisation projects to finally get underway in Sabah," he said.