Luqman's musings

    MA63 , the Legal Profession , and the Everyday Frustrations of Ordinary Sabahans.   As much as I believe Datuk Roger Chin is on the right track in advancing the MA63 agenda, I fear he may be overlooking a fundamental issue: a great deal of cleaning up remains to be done on the ground.

  Heartiest congratulations to YBhg. TPr. Stanley Chong Hon Chung on his appointment as Director of the Sabah State Economic Planning Unit ( UPEN ). I have great respect for him, not only for his professional achievements but also for his accessibility and responsiveness. In my experience, he is one of the very few public officers who consistently acknowledges emails promptly. On several occasions, he replied immediately to confirm receipt of my correspondence and followed up the very next day with a comprehensive response. In an era when many citizens struggle to receive even an acknowledgment from government agencies, such professionalism, courtesy, and commitment to public engagement deserve recognition. I wish him every success in his new role and trust that UPEN Sabah will continue to benefit from his dedication, responsiveness, and leadership. Congratulations once again, and all the best in your new appointment. Note: I don't read newspapers  and happened...

  JPP SABAH DIRECTOR - Formal Enquiry: Infrastructure Overload & Operational Inefficiencies at Penampang RSTP Luqman Michel <luqmanmichel@gmail.com> Fri, Jul 24, 1:57 PM (1 day ago)   jpps@sabah.gov.my Jabatan Perkhidmatan Pembetungan Sabah, which translates to the Sabah State Sewerage Services Department. Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing as a concerned rate-payer and resident of Sabah regarding the long-term operational sustainability and financial management of the Penampang Regional Sewage Treatment Plant (RSTP) located at Jalan Pintas, Penampang .

  Sabahans are told that recent financial maneuvers are not “bailouts.” Yet when we examine the details — from the RM200 million conversion at SDBank to the RM8 billion diverted from development funds — the real issue is not labels. It is the failure of supervision that allowed institutions to deteriorate and debts to become questionable.   The RM200 Million Conversion The State Government converted RM200 million in deposits into Redeemable Preference Shares (RPS) at SDBank. Critics called it a bailout. In reality, it was a risk management decision to strengthen the Bank’s capital base and avoid exposing the State to RM3 billion in liabilities. LINK

“Some people think that the truth can be hidden with a little cover-up and decoration. But as time goes by, what is true is revealed, and what is fake fades away.” While social media frequently rages over directly misappropriated public funds, we completely ignore a much silent, equally devastating drain on our resources: systemic infrastructural mismanagement.

                                                               Luqman Michel <luqmanmichel@gmail.com> Jul 20, 2026, 6:22 AM (1 day ago) to feedback, reporters Dear Editor, I read with interest your recent coverage of Johnson Tee’s column on Sabah’s pothole crisis. His piece rightly described our crumbling roads as a national issue, but I wish to add further reflections on the deeper causes that keep Sabah trapped in this cycle.