Why Sabah is the least developed state in Malaysia

 

On 12 June, the Federal Government released RM600 million. The remaining RM900 million will only be paid once a new Special Grant Order is gazetted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.

But how exactly is this public money being spent on the ground?

Here’s one example: a playground being built at Golf Garden, Penampang.

I visited the site yesterday and today. What I saw was shocking — zero supervision and very poor workmanship.

Photos attached:

Concrete being poured directly onto grass and soil.

BRC wire mesh of an inferior gauge laid flat on the ground with no spacer blocks at all.

No proper base preparation.

I called Mr. Jonathan of Majlis Daerah Penampang — no answer. Spoke to his office (Mr. Billy), who said he would inform Mr. Jonathan. When the cement truck arrived, I called again. Shortly after, the contractor showed up.

I even had to tell the contractor the basic minimum: use spacer blocks under the BRC mesh. I gave him some bricks from my own house to help a little.

Why this matters:

Pouring cement straight on grass is a big mistake. The grass will rot and create hidden gaps underneath. The slab will eventually crack and sink.

Without spacer blocks, the steel mesh sits at the bottom instead of in the middle of the concrete. This means the slab has almost no tensile strength.

Exposed or poorly placed steel will rust quickly, expand, and break the concrete apart — making the playground dangerous for children.

This is not how you build a proper playground. This is how public funds get wasted.

Is this the kind of project that makes some leaders so eager to receive the remaining RM900 million?

We have said it many times: Sabahans deserve better. Civil servants and politicians must be held accountable before more millions are released and siphoned through shoddy, unsupervised projects.

 

 

The response to my Facebook post was overwhelming. The next morning, the concrete was hacked and carted away.

 

On 14.7.2026, a load of construction aggregate was delivered and spread out with a backhoe. This is the standard first step for preparing a solid concrete foundation or slab-on-grade.

 

Unfortunately, what we observed suggests that the contractor attempted to cut corners. Cementing was carried out directly on grass without aggregate and proper ground compaction. The BRC used were inferior to what had been quoted.

This situation reflects negligence by the supervising engineer, Mr. Jonathan, from Majlis Daerah, who failed to inspect the works on site. The community deserves transparency and accountability—playground facilities must be built to safe and lasting standards, not compromised by shortcuts.

BRC of the correct gauge was then delivered.

 

Immediately after that the whole area was cordoned off. 

What is troubling is that the entire area has been closed to the public — even though a major portion is the basketball court, which is regularly used by children and youths in the community.

Why deny access to a safe and much‑needed space when only part of the site is under construction? This blanket closure reflects the same mindset I wrote about in my blog post on Little Napoleons – Three Years On. They are no longer “little.” The culture of overreach and arbitrary decisions has grown unchecked.

According to the standard definition, construction hoarding is a temporary solid barrier erected around a site primarily to secure the perimeter, restrict unauthorised access, and protect the public from hazards such as dust, noise, and falling debris.

If the main issue is dust, why is there no barricade or protective screen installed directly next to the house where the work is being carried out? And if no new building is under construction, what falling debris are we being protected from? This raises the legitimate question of whether the hoarding is genuinely for public safety — or is being used as an excuse to prevent the work from being monitored by the public. This concern was previously raised by Encik Mohammad Ariffin Khan.