Echoes from Sarawak: "Little Napoleons" in Sabah's Backyard – My Vistana Heights Nightmare

 

If you've been following my saga at Vistana Heights in Kota Kinabalu, you know it's been a rollercoaster of frustration, red tape, and outright stonewalling. What started as a dream home purchase in 2019 has turned into a three-year battle against a web of bureaucratic indifference that feels less like public service and more like a fortress designed to protect the powerful. But here's the kicker: a bold warning from across the border in Sarawak has me nodding vigorously. It's like Minister Datuk Dr Juanda Drowie peered into my emails and meetings, then put words to the chaos.

In a speech at the Sarawak-level International Anti-Corruption Day launch on November 7, Juanda didn't mince words. He called out the "little Napoleons" – those mid-level civil servants who, handed a sliver of authority, start acting like emperors, overstepping bounds and treating citizens like nuisances.

 

And don't get him started on the "Rasputins" – shadowy advisors whispering manipulations that topple trust from the inside, much like the mystic who helped unravel the Russian empire.

 

 

 "We don’t want these small issues to become big problems later," he urged, stressing that unchecked arrogance erodes public confidence in government. It's a message that's "still under control" in Sarawak, thanks to reminders to department heads and tools like the MACC, Ombudsman, and even social media for complaints. But over here in Sabah? It feels like the floodgates are wide open.

Juanda's right – these aren't just "small issues." They're the cracks that swallow homeowners whole. Take my case at Vistana Heights: a development plagued by a non-existent retaining wall (mandated in 1997 and 2018 plans but certified anyway by DBKK for an Occupancy Certificate in 2019), steep driveways that make my Lot S9 feel like a ski ramp (impossible for standard cars, devaluing my property by at least RM300,000), and fabricated as-built surveys from Jurukur Terra Firma that magically aligned heights to push approvals through. I've fired off over 100 emails since 2022, attended meetings on May 5 and June 11, 2025, and even sat down with the Sabah Integrity Unit (BIGoNS) on August 12. Yet, here I am, still waiting for basics like the June 2023 spot level survey from Lembaga Juruukur Sabah (LJS). Why? Because the "little Napoleons" at these agencies seem untouchable.

Let's break it down – who are these civil servants protected by, and how do they wield such unchecked power? In my emails to Datuk James Ratib (Minister of Unity) on September 4, I laid it bare: altered DBKK meeting minutes (from May 5, updated July 21 with sneaky wording changes on that phantom retaining wall), certifications of structures that don't exist (endangering S1 to S18 homes with soil collapse risks), and a chairman at Land & Survey (L&S) who, in an August 14 reply, basically shrugged: "Take it to court under Section 17 of the Surveyors Ordinance if you're dissatisfied." As if justice is a DIY project for exhausted residents. Protected by what? Layers of procedure that demand we jump through hoops while they hide behind "verification processes" that drag on forever. Power? It comes from the silence of politicians who let these agencies run wild, fearing backlash from developer cronies or just plain inertia.

And the Ministry of Housing? They postponed a crucial meeting at the last minute in June, then ghosted us entirely. No follow-up, no reschedule – just echoes in the void. Meanwhile, Sarawak's Premier Abang Johari is out there reminding agencies to monitor projects and stick to SOPs.

Sabah's ministers? Crickets. Where's the urgency when public trust is hemorrhaging?

This isn't abstract – it's my home, my safety, my finances on the line. As Juanda warns, these "Rasputin-like" whispers (think conflicting statements: DBKK denies being the "authority" on surveys, while LJS points fingers back) breed discord and favoritism, often tilting toward developers like Topwira Corporation. I've seen it in the 2011 development plan attached to my Sale & Purchase Agreement – platform heights matching a 1995 blueprint that was already outdated by construction time, screaming fraud. Yet, LJS won't release that 2023 survey to prove it.

Fellow Vistana Heights residents (and Sabahans everywhere), this is our wake-up call. If Sarawak can spotlight these issues early, why can't we demand the same? Share your stories in the comments – have you faced similar roadblocks with DBKK or L&S? Let's amplify this before it festers further.

To be continued in Part 2: Election Eve Reckoning – Time to Swap the Suits?