Sabah Youth Council permanent chairman Mazlan @ Joehari Manan
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Youth Council is hoping more leaders from the state will be appointed to helm significant positions as well as government-linked companies (GLCs) at the federal level.
Its permanent chairman Mazlan@Joehari Manan said this was after the disappointing number of Sabah representatives in the federal Cabinet line-up as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Mazlan said the new Cabinet consisted of members from various religions, races and states but still lacked the reform expected by the people.
For instance, he said, the appointment of Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as Deputy Prime Minister has raised eyebrows but nonetheless, the inclusion of many fresh faces as ministers brings hope that the change and reform being sounded before could be realised.
“For us, the Sabah youths fully support the appointment of Papar MP Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (GRS-Bersatu) and Datuk Ewon Benedick (Pakatan Harapan-Upko) as Cabinet ministers,” he said here on Saturday (Dec 3).
Benedick was appointed as the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister while Armizan as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs).
“However, the small representation from Sabah in the federal Cabinet is somewhat disappointing.
“Hopefully there will be significant appointments and responsibilities given to representatives from Sabah in the government and GLCs later which can fulfil the aspirations of Sabahans,” Mazlan added.
Towards this end, he said the main challenge of the Prime Minister and his new government was to deliver the pledge made during the election campaign.
“The youth and the public, in general, will monitor the kinds of changes the new government would be able to bring about and how it could shape policies that could finally usher the nation into a new era where the people’s standard of living is improved.
“(On the other hand) the Sabah people, including the youth, want more to be done by the new federal government on the delivery of state rights and people’s interest.
“The opportunity is now made available and the responsibility must be fulfilled,” Mazlan said.
