Luqman's musings

  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.

  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 .

                                                                      Bottomless Pit In his latest column for The Borneo Post (19 July 2026), Datuk Johnson Tee pulls no punches. Titled “The cost of the pothole: Why Sabah’s crumbling roads are a national crisis,” the piece lays bare a problem many Sabahans live with daily: roads so damaged they’ve become a genuine public safety and economic emergency . Tee highlights a staggering official figure — over 73,000 potholes recorded on federal roads in Sabah between 2023 and 2024, with thousands more since. Read the article here. LINK

  Lions Club scandal In 2017 my complaints to the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host were not taken seriously. The club maintained 3 secret bank accounts into which funds were deposited and misused. Money meant for the poor and needy was diverted by wealthy members. A simple solution would have been to declare that such acts would cease and to close those accounts. Instead, the members chose to expel me from the club. I approached senior members, but none were willing to take the bull by the horns. They mistakenly believed that once expelled, I could not act against the club. To cut the story short, ROS acted on my complaint and deregistered the club for over a year .   You may read the back cover of my simple narrative found at LINK Copies are available from my house at RM10.00 each. The book is now out of print.

Challenging silence, demanding integrity Has my vision of a better Sabah — one properly managed by civil servants and politicians — been too idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical?   That is the question I have wrestled with for the past four years, ever since I began my fight against the developer of Vistana Heights . The houses there were built in blatant disregard of the development plan submitted to DBKK . A retaining wall was never constructed, though an engineer supposedly supervised it. An architect submitted an as ‑ built survey plan, then disclaimed responsibility for another professional’s work, despite being the principal submitting officer. DBKK issued an occupancy certificate despite serious discrepancies in the submitted documentation—discrepancies that remain unexplained to this day.

                                                                                                                     Public Sector Home Financing Board The Personal Data Protection Act 2010 ( PDPA ) was enacted to protect Malaysians from misuse of their personal information. It was never intended to become a convenient excuse for government agencies to avoid answering legitimate questions. Yet, in practice, agencies often hide behind PDPA to block even the most basic factual confirmations. A recent case illustrates this problem:   LPPSA ’s ( Lembaga Pembiayaan Perumahan Sektor Awam)  refusal to confirm the repayment date of a government housing loan, despite that date already being d...

                                                            Luqman Michel <luqmanmichel@gmail.com> Jun 23, 2026, 3:16 PM (11 days ago) to SEKTOR, JABATAN, HAJAH, PENGARAH, ABDUL, MOHD, MOHD, MUHAMMED YBhg. Datin / Sektor Integriti, I refer to your reply dated 23 June 2026 regarding my complaint of 5 June 2026. With respect, your response appears to have misunderstood the substance of my complaint. My report did not allege that Puan Veni A/P Munusami is bankrupt or insolvent. The issue raised was her failure to comply with a High Court of Malaya Order dated 19 May 2023 (Case No: BA ‑ 24NCVC ‑ 740 ‑ 05/2022), which directed her to pay RM3,000.00 as costs of action to the Plaintiff. Despite repeated demands, she has failed, neglected, and refused to settle this judgment debt for more than three years. This constitutes “se...

  Three years ago, I wrote about the “ Little Napoleons ” who thrive in our civil service — officers who ignore correspondence, flout the Piagam Pelanggan  requirement to reply within two weeks, and act with impunity. Today, the same arrogance continues unchecked, despite promises of reform. Rosemary AhPing of LPPB never replied to my emails then, and the silence remains. DBKK officers continue to disregard public correspondence. The Selangor Education Director has failed to respond to emails dated 5 and 6 June 2026. This is not incompetence; it is a culture of impunity.

  My recent posts have exposed how complaints about serious misconduct in our schools — including teachers defying court orders — are routinely twisted or ignored by education authorities. A clear example: On 5 June 2026, a complaint was lodged against a teacher at SK Bukit Kuchai for allegedly violating a court order and having major financial liabilities. Instead of proper investigation, the Selangor Education Department’s Integrity Sector reframed it as a mere “ bankruptcy check ,” quickly declared it “unfounded,” and closed the case. This is classic deflection that protects the system while betraying parents and students. Now the same pattern hits higher education.

  I submitted a formal complaint on 5 June 2026 to the Selangor State Education Department regarding a teacher (Veni A/P Munusami, SK Bukit Kuchai) who allegedly failed to comply with a court order and has serious financial liabilities as a public servant. Instead of addressing the actual issues I raised — failure to obey a court order and serious debt by a government employee — the Integrity Sector replied by claiming I had complained about her being bankrupt. They then checked with the Malaysian Insolvency Department (MDI), confirmed she is not bankrupt, and immediately closed the case.

  Here is the reply to my email to the Selangor Education Director which you may read at LINK . This is a translation of the email written in Malay by the Integrity Sector : Sir/Madam, Referring to the complaint that you submitted on 5 June 2026 regarding the financial status/bankruptcy of our officers, the management has taken appropriate action by conducting a detailed investigation.     For your information, an official check has been made with the Malaysian Insolvency Department ( MDI ) to confirm the validity of the allegations.

  When the Deputy Home Minister declared in Parliament that refusing to accept police reports is a serious offence punishable by dismissal, he was not merely speaking about police procedure . He was affirming a principle: public officers exist to serve the public, not to obstruct them. LINK Yet across Malaysia, ordinary citizens face another form of obstruction — civil servants who simply ignore emails.

  The Daily Express recently reported that tribunal losers must comply with orders or face enforcement through court action. The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) reminded the public that compliance is not optional — it is a legal duty. LINK   This principle should apply equally to all, including educators entrusted with shaping the next generation. Yet, in West Malaysia, a teacher continues to defy a High Court order to pay RM3,000 in costs. Such defiance is not a private matter; it is a breach of integrity that undermines both the judiciary and the teaching profession .

  We sing with pride: “Dari Perlis sampai lah ke Sabah kita sudah MERDEKA…” Yet in reality, our governance under the present leadership is terkandas — stranded in silence, stuck in inefficiency, and failing the very people it claims to serve.   My Experience with SK Kuchai, Puchong In 2022, I wrote three emails to SK Kuchai, Puchong.   In June 2026, I sent two more emails to the new Headmaster.   No response.

  Lawyers are duty-bound to represent their clients. But they are also officers of the court, sworn to uphold justice. What happens when those duties collide — when a lawyer continues to act despite clear contradictions and even evidence of fraud?

  India has already demonstrated that pensions can be forfeited for corruption and misconduct. In 2025, amendments to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules made it clear: dismissal for fraud, corruption, or negligence means loss of pension, gratuity, provident fund, and even family pension. Malaysia , however, has had the principle embedded in law since 1980 — Section 3 of the Pensions Act — but has never tested it. This raises a crucial question: why has Malaysia left this provision dormant, and what benefits could accrue if it were finally enforced?

  On 6 June 2026, I sent an official complaint via email to the Director of Education, Selangor, followed by a registered letter on 8 June 2026.After receiving no reply, I followed up with another email this morning,19.6.2026, and a telephone call. The Director’s Personal Assistant, Puan Aliah, who answered my call, informed me that the Director has instructed the complaint to be forwarded to the Integrity Department for further action. I asked her to acknowledge receipt of my email and have yet to receive it.  Now, I'll wait for another two weeks to see if this matter has to be escalated.   For those who missed my earlier post, below is the English translation of the email and formal letter I sent to the Director.