Luqman's musings

  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.

Untuk versi Bahasa Melayu, sila skrol ke bawah. In my earlier posts, I argued that school culture is not written in mission statements but in the daily conduct of its teachers. When a teacher defies a High Court order and remains in serious financial indebtedness, it is not merely a private failing — it is a breach of trust that undermines governance and erodes the integrity of the profession. This is why I have formally lodged a disciplinary complaint against the teacher whose refusal to comply with the judgment debt order exemplifies how dishonesty corrodes institutional culture. Here is an English Translation of my letter to the Education Director written in Malay:

  I have lodged multiple police reports concerning the alleged fabrication of false evidence and misrepresentation in property transactions. These reports include clear documentary contradictions: deceased persons listed as vendors, Sale & Purchase Agreements that don’t match filed particulars, and discrepancies in ownership records.

  Here is a post on Facebook from this morning, dated 6 May 2026 Are Malaysians civic minded people? What are our worst traits? What is needed to change ourselves to be a truly civilised society? Here are my thoughts: No, Malaysians (including Sabahans) are not as civic-minded as a truly civilised society demands. We have pockets of kindness—helping neighbours during floods or festivals—but when it comes to public issues, collective responsibility, or holding power accountable, too many of us fall short. We treat “civic mindedness” as optional, something for “someone else” to handle.

  Since 2019, I have lodged complaints with the Sabah Advocates Disciplinary Board (SADB). In 2019, I complained about lawyers taking instructions from a bankrupt. In 2023, I complained about misrepresentation by a firm claiming to act for a government body when it was not even on the panel. In 2025, I asked for a waiver of the filing fee to complain about a lawyer who had produced Particulars of Subsale that were fabricated. And in April 2026, I again requested a waiver of the RM100 filing fee because I am a B40 SARA recipient .

  In Sabah, the push for full implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is often framed as a noble struggle for greater autonomy — the right to manage our own affairs, land, immigration, resources, and a fairer share of revenue. Proponents argue we were promised special safeguards when Malaysia was formed, and much of that has been diluted over the decades. But here’s a question many ordinary Sabahans are asking: What is the point of struggling for more autonomy when we struggle with basic service delivery under the autonomy we already have?

My Struggle to File a Complaint Against a Lawyer as a B40 SARA Recipient in Sabah In Malaysia, we often hear that the legal profession is self-regulating and that disciplinary boards exist to protect the public from professional misconduct. But what happens when the very system meant to uphold standards places financial and procedural barriers that effectively silence ordinary citizens — especially those from the B40 group ?

                                                                                                                                  Who is this authority? The LJS “Mysterious Authority” Scandal Publication How are we to trust our present politicians and our opposition politicians if they can’t even find out from Lembaga Juruukur Sabah (LJS) who the “authority” is? Three years after I lodged my complaint about the fabricated “as-built” survey plans at Taman Puncak Vistana Heights , LJS inspected the site in June 2023. Their report remains locked away. Their repeated excuse? It is “awaiting verification from the authority.” When pressed in writing and in perso...

Systemic Barriers Faced by Ordinary Citizens As a Sabah B40 citizen receiving RM100 monthly SARA aid , I often ask myself: How exactly are ordinary Sabahans supposed to seek justice when the very institutions meant to protect us create one obstacle after another? Over the past few years, I have documented several patterns on this blog. They are not isolated incidents. They form a picture of systemic barriers that make access to justice feel almost impossible for people like me.

  A striking coincidence: As a former PKR grassroots member sets the ultimate benchmark for success, I finalise my police report to PDRM and IPCC , and prepare to email Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim . This morning, I came across a timely and pointed article in Focus Malaysia titled “Charges against Tun M, Ismail Sabri would mark PMX ’s anti-graft pinnacle”.

  Yesterday, a good friend sent me the photo above and said: ‘Notice the elevation?’ I responded: Yes, what is important is if this was according to the DP (Development Plan). He replied: No idea…this has been going on for ages, until they meet LM (Luqman Michel).

Berikut adalah terjemahan penuh ke Bahasa Melayu When I revisited the events of 2021 in my April 3 post , I wasn’t simply looking backward. I was asking why, years later, the unfairness I experienced still weighed on me enough to write. The answer lies in perspective: with time, patterns become clearer. What felt personal then now looks systemic — the way disciplinary processes can be wielded, and how those who once sat in judgment may themselves face scrutiny.

  Even when you and other government servants (sorry, masters) work from the office, I don't get replies to emails and letters. Now what can we expect when you work from home? That was my quick reaction to YB Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun ’s recent statement on Sabah’s plan to follow the Federal Government’s Work From Home (WFH) policy .

  A Sabahans’ Perspective on Autonomy, Accountability and Access to Justice In my previous post, I wrote about how ordinary Sabahans — especially those in the B40 group — often find it too costly and discouraging to file complaints against lawyers under our local system. Many readers asked: “If the system feels stacked against ordinary people, why not just extend the Legal Profession Act 1976 (LPA) from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah so we have one uniform set of rules?” It’s a fair and important question. Let me explain what I’ve learned.

  In my last post on April 2, I shared how ordinary Sabahans — especially those in the B40 group like myself who rely on RM100 monthly SARA aid — are effectively priced out of complaining about professional misconduct by lawyers. The RM100 processing fee, printing costs, and the feeling that the system is stacked against us make it almost impossible to seek justice.

  Insights from the Sabah Development Bank Discussions in Sabah In Malaysia, including Sabah, a bank statement of account is generally accepted as prima facie evidence of a debt. Courts often rely on such statements to establish the existence of financial obligations. However, this acceptance is not absolute. The enforceability of a statement of account can be successfully challenged if the bank cannot explain or verify its contents when disputed. The ongoing discussions surrounding the SDB matter highlight how these principles may come into play in practice.

  In Part 7: The Unresolved Horizon (link-to-part-7), I examined the glaring disparities between foreclosure laws in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia . While the Federal Court in the peninsula has begun curbing indefinite claims through cases like Thameez Nisha Hasseem v Maybank Allied Bank Berhad [2023] 4 MLRA 492 , Sabah still clings to its outdated Limitation Ordinance . Item 114 exempts foreclosures entirely, leaving borrowers exposed to threats that can linger for 60 years. This is not a mere legal quirk—it is a symptom of a deeper malaise: Sabah’s persistent refusal to align with evolving national and global standards.   The consequences are visible everywhere. Despite being rich in oil, gas, palm oil, and timber, Sabah remains Malaysia’s second-poorest state . Poverty rates hover between 17.7% and 19.5%, compared to the national average of 5.6%. Infrastructure failures compound the problem:   Electricity supply remains unreliable.   Internet conn...

  📌 Introduction Between 2003 and 2018, Sabah Development Bank (SDB) approved approximately RM8 billion in loans to companies based in Peninsular Malaysia . Around 95% of these loans were for property development projects in Kuala Lumpur , Selangor , and Johor —far removed from Sabah’s primary development needs. LINK - Daily Express