Thank you Tuan Speaker for allowing me the opportunity to debate on the Budget of Sarawak
(Tuan Speaker, Sarawakians wait in anticipation for the state government to announce the 2012 budget to see what the government has installed for them for 2012. But more importantly, they want to see how the government can help to eradicate poverty, bring actual developments, create jobs, share the wealth with them and rid the state of corrupt practices, cronyism and nepotism. Many also want to know when the CM is stepping aside and who will be the next CM of Sarawak.
But the budget presented by the CM totally disappointed the rakyat as the BN did not have any intention to address the issues that Sarawakians are most concerned with. The budget presented by the CM and the Finance Minister was a total disappointment to Sarawakian as their concern have not been addressed by the CM and it shows once again that the CM does not know what the Sarawakian want.
Sarawakian have seen the PR Sarawak’s Alternative Budget 2012 in the news and they are excited by the Alternative budget 2012 with the theme “Democratizing Sarawak’s Economy” with three (3) main thrusts to promote Financial transparency and accountability, Fiscal decentralization, giving social assistance to the marginalized and shifting the economy away from natural resource exploitation.
Sarawak being marginalized for 48 years
Sarawak is the biggest state and richest state in Malaysia blessed with rich natural resources such as oil, gas, minerals, fertile soil, oil palm as well as timber. We call ourselves Anak Sarawak and are proud of our customs and cultures and our identities. We should be one of the most developed states in Malaysia instead of one of the poorest states as it is.
Our Minister for Social welfare, Women Affairs and Family Development, Datuk Fatimah has on the 31/10/2011 said Sarawak, Sabah and Kelantan are the three states with the most number of poverty in Malaysia. I must applause the Minister for speaking the truth and showed her concern for the rakyat about rising costs of living in the state. But I cannot agree with her that the reason for the high number of poverty in Sarawak could be because the definition of poverty (household income raised from RM 450 to RM 830) because even with RM 830 it is difficult to make ends meet.
Why are we one of the poorest states?
We have a budget of some RM 4.03 billion compared with Selangor and Penang who has only RM1.2 billion and RM 900 million respectively. Anak Sarawak should be given the fair share of our state’s wealth and they should not have to envy their counterparts in Selangor and Penang. Whereas the Selangor state government give free water, set up trust fund for all the newly born and give the family of the deceased Rm2500 for their bereavement , the Penang government gives the senior citizens a RM 100 bonus annually and gives RM 100 to the single parents as well as the handicapped . They showed the people and the BN that as long as there is no corruption there is enough for all to share.
What do we give to our Anak Sarawak?
What did we give instead of taking from them? We have been elected to represent our Anak Sarawak in the Dewan to do what? Let’s put our political differences aside and put our Anak Sarawak interests first and foremost in everything we do, every law we pass or going to amend. If we can do that, then we can bring Sarawak to a greater height and bring Anak Sarawak true developments that they have never experienced. Only then could we create a true welfare state. But the first thing the BN state government has to do is to listen to the representatives of the PR and I trust that we are here to voice out for Anak Sarawak and to help the government if necessary as long as it is for the good of Anank Sarawak.
Anak Sarawak has suffered enough under the current states of affair whereby our youth are leaving in droves to seek for greener pasture in West Malaysia or foreign countries. Where else but our own Tanah Sarawak should be the greenest pasture for our Anak Sarawak? Something is wrong and the soonest we acknowledged it the fastest we can rectify the situations.
Our rural folks are mostly living in poverty while their NCR lands have been taken away by big corporations who in turn employed foreign labors instead of our own Anak Sarawak. 41% of Anak Sarawak in the rural areas still do not have the basic amenities such as pipe water supply and 33% do not have electricity coverage while our state government has built the multi-billion Bakum’s Hydro Electric Power’s project, how can this be allowed to happen?
Long houses are been burnt down annually simply because the government do not provide equipment and infrastructures to allow them the basic fire-fighting services to protect them against the loss of lives and properties that we demanded and expected in this 21st century.
Challenges and expectations
Under our watch, our Anak Sarawak should prosper and not be subjected to living in poverty and that should be the highest calling we as ADUN should fulfill. There are several fundamentals issues we should address immediately which I have listed out as follow:
1) Fiscal decentralization and removing the “Black Hole” within the ministry of Finance. Too much resources and power is in the hand of the CM who also act as the Finance minister and minister for planning and Resources Management in the state. The 3 ministries controlled 64% of the 2011 estimated Development Expenditures of RM 3,630.3 million while the other 10 ministries shared the remaining 38% of the budget. This has created the imbalanced allocation of resources and irrational allocation of resources. More money need to go down to the local government as they are tasked with the delivery mechanism that affect the everyday life of Anak Sarawak. The “”Black Hole” in the ministry of Finance has over the past 5 years sucks in RM 7,290 million of unaccounted for allocation that has never been addressed or explained by the Finance Ministry. How can we achieve economy development if such absurd allocation of resources are not been stopped?
2)To set up a Trust fund from the oil and gas money we earned such as those implemented in Trengganu. But we must have enough royalty to make this possible and we can start by demanding the federal government to review our oil and gas royalty and raise the percentage of oil royalty from the current 5% to 20%. This would bring in additional revenues of RM 3.0 billion annually more or less with the current world crude oil price. Half of this money should be reinvested for the future of Sarawak TO PROTECT OUR INTERESTS BECAUSE our oil and gas reserves will run out one day. The Norwegian model is one which we can emulate .
( The Government Pension Fund - Global (Norwegian: Statens pensjonsfond - Utland, SPU) is a fund into which the surplus wealth produced by Norwegian petroleum income is deposited. The fund changed name in January 2006 from its previous name The Petroleum Fund of Norway. The fund is commonly referred to as The Oil Fund (Norwegian: Oljefondet). As of the valuation in June 2011, it was the largest pension fund in the world。)
3)Using our vast fertile land to make Sarawak the rice bowl of Malaysia. We are currently importing hundreds of thousands of tons of rice which is a shame giving our vast and fertile land we have. We should give all Sarawakian who is above 21 years old the chance to go into this industry. What the state government is doing now is to give land to giant corporations; some from the West Malaysia, while our own Anak Sarawak can only watch in dismay. The flood in Thailand should ring alarm bell that we can’t count on others to produce the basic staple food for us. We have the land, we have hard working peoples and we need is to lease them the land and some imaginative incentive to make this possible. In 2011, Sarawak has 71,000 hectares of cultivated Padi fields and the federal government subsidized RM86 million. Sarawak produces only 35% of the rice consumption of some 460,000 tons per annum which is much lower than the national figure of some 70%. Food security is an essential responsibility of the government and after 48 years of governing the BN still has nothing to show at all.
4)Set up an agricultural Fund for our youth to apply to go into oil palm industry. Every Sarawakian should be given the opportunity to go into the oil palm industry by leasing them a 10 acres land to start with. Lease the land to them and help them by providing technical know-hows as well the initial loan to develop their estate. 10 acres of mature oil palm can bring the family some RM 5000-8000 monthly incomes which would generate tax incomes for the state government and eradicate poverty in Sarawak.
5)Build more low cost houses for our fellow Sarawakians to apply. We need to build more low cost houses in every division in Sarawak so as to improve the standard of living for Sarawakians. Low cost houses must not be associate with defective workmanship or inferior materials. Currently intermediate double-story terrace houses in Sibu, Bintulu, Miri and Kuching cost some RM 360,000 to RM 400,000 which is outside the scope of the youth whose average family income is less than RM 3000.00 per month. Furthermore, this will create jobs in the construction sector and boost the sagging economy.
6)Education. Sarawak needs more institution of higher learning especially those bigger metropolitan towns like Sibu. Sibu economy has suffered because we do not even have a full-fledged University and our youth have to leave their hometown to obtain their higher education. If Mukah can have a Mara University and a poly-technic college, why can’t we build a full-fledged University in Sibu to cater for the needs of the central region of Sarawak?
7)Transparency and accountability. Open tender system seems to be the worst enemies of the BN and they shy away from the system even when billion worth of contract are been given or awarded to BN top leader’s family members. We cannot go on like this if we are to have a clean and efficient administration in Sarawak. People are angry and yet their grievances are landed on deaf ears of the BN leaders. Corrupt practices must be stopped and yet the Sarawak Budget 2012 did not even touch on how the government is going to address this issue at all.
8)Crimes and security. In October, a family of four on the west bank of Sibu in the constituency of Bawang Assan was attacked by a bunch of foreigners and three died instantly while the only survivor cheated dead by acting dead. This has created up roar in Sibu and Sarawak and rang the alarm bell on our security. DAP Adun in Sibu leads by YB Bukit Assek has before the incident paid a visit to the KPD of Sibu and submitted a memorandum which among others was the issue of foreign illegals in Sibu. We were told that under the amnesty program, the police have no authority to take further action against foreign illegals until the program has ended. We would like the state government to take immediate steps in taking stern actions against foreign illegals and use our special immigration rights to pressure the Immigration Department to buckle up and set up a task force to monitor the situation. We do not want to see more social unrest caused by these foreign illegals. We have a right to know what the police has done and planned for combating these illegals in Sibu as well as Sarawak.
9)Eradicating of Hard core poverty and creating a Social safety net for the senior citizens, handicapped persons and single parents with kids to support and anyone that falls under the poverty bracket. We should be able to declare a social welfare program with the aim of easing the burden of these groups of less privileged. If Penang with an annual budget of some RM 900 million can give RM 100 to the senior citizens and single parents then we who have an annual budget of RM 4.8 billion should be able to give RM 600. We also need to invest in the future by setting up a trust fund for every newly born Sarawakian like the one set up in Selangor.
10)Infrastructure development. Sarawak should have a total facelift to enable us to compete for investments especially FDI. The SCORE corridor should not be the only priority for the government as we do not even have a complete North-South highway that is of acceptable standard. All trunk roads in Sarawak are of the R3 standard and below while our fellow countrymen in West Malaysia have R5 standard roads. Why are we been marginalized? Many towns of Sarawak are still without proper road and drainage system and the interior areas are short of the basic public utilities such as piped water and electric current supply. Please don’t tell the house that we do not have the money as 1) above should solve this.
11)Transportation. While the federal government spends some RM 40 billion to construct the Mass Rapid Transit System in KL, Sarawak public transport system is in dire need of improvement. In August 2011, the public bus company plying the area in Rajang Park and its surrounding areas was stopped without any formal announcement being made and that has caused much distress among those who have depended on it for the past decades. Senior people, students and those without self-transport are worst hit. Even the most advanced of nations have to keep an efficient public transport system for the benefits of their rakyat and yet the Sarawak government is turning a blind eye to the lack of public transport system in Sarawak. While the senior citizens in West Malaysia can enjoy 50% discount on the public transport services, what do we have for our Sarawakian? Sarawak was allocated RM200 million from the oil subsidy savings of RM4.4 billion following the 30 cents in fuel prices to spend on improving its public transportation system and another RM20 million more to buy fuel for rural areas ….Where were the money spent?
12)The insufficient flights and connection points. Apart from Kuching, peoples in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri are suffering from the shortage of flights between Sarawak ,West Malaysia and Singapore. Sibu Airport is undergoing an expansion plan that cost hundreds of million but would there be sufficient connecting flights from Sibu to KL, Kuching, KK, JB and Singapore? Peoples are complaining that the airline companies are toying with us in Sibu with the announcement that MAS will retake the route from KL-Sibu in December 2011 only after the Firefly took over the route from MAS in July 2011. Students studying outside Sarawak are facing flight shortage during the festive seasons such as Raya, CNY and Gawai. Isn’t it time for Sarawak government to open up the air space and allow foreign airlines to enter the market?
13)Tourism industry. We need to invest more in our tourism industry as this is the Green Industry that is sustainable and does not caused pollution. Tourism industry and its related activities spur growth in different sectors and create jobs. If African countries can use eco-conservation to attract tourism, why isn’t Sarawak government doing the same? We have some of the most wonderful natural habitats in the world and yet we are not doing enough to promote our attractions.
14)Provision for forest management. Sarawak natural resources have been exploited for decades by the BN government and the environmental destruction have caused pollution and adversely affected our eco-system. Rivers are been polluted and the quality of water in our rivers have deteriorated over the years. Water will become one of the most valuable resources in the years to come and the government must have the foresight to see this.
15)Employment for the locals. Big oil palm corporations must do their parts in giving jobs to the local and pay them a minimum wages to allow them to survive. Even the MP of Bintulu thinks that the government should not give out work permits indiscriminately causing the unemployment of the locals to sky rocket and eventually leaving their family behind to seek employment outside Sarawak. We can have a quota system whereby the ratio of locals vs foreigners be maintained to achieve this objective.
16)Chinese and missionary schools. Again, we urge the state government to recognize the multi-racial character of our society and the important role played by the Chinese and Missionary schools in the state. The government needs to allocate funding to these schools systematically through our state annual budget; Penang, Selangor, Kelatan and even Sabah are doing it. Education should be color blind as it is the basic foundation of the society. Only through this measure can we truly have a well diversify and dynamic education system catering for the different sectors of the society. Again, I wish to emphasize that our state budget is many times over the other states that are currently allocating funds to these schools.
17)Public service commission. Many complain that the current Public Service Commission is discriminatory towards certain ethnic groups seeking to join the public service sector. The Sarawak Public Service Commission has to set a mechanism as well as a target to implement a fairer and equitable in takes of the public service personnel among all the ethnic groups in Sarawak. The meritocracy system must be implemented as well to make sure that only the best serves the rakyat who are their pay masters.
18)Last but not the least is of course to remind the CM that he has made the pledge that he will step down after the 2011 state election. However, looking at the possible candidacies to fill in the post once he vacant it one would feel that the CM is actually not serious about his retirement plan. Sarawakian have the rights to know who is the next BN leader that will take over the post as half a year has lapsed since the state election and time is running out for the CM to nominate his successor. The CM should unambiguously name his successor before 2012 and in the Dewan officially. This Dewan sitting is the best of time and place for him to do so unless he wants to take back his own words about retiring. We do not see the need to maintain secrecy on the subject unless the CM feels that no one in his current cabinet is fit to step into his shoes.
Tuan Speaker, my 18 points speech reminds us 48 years ago when we agreed to the formation of Malaysia we have an 18 points agreement signed to safeguard our interests but we have failed to use them as leverage to bring Sarawak to great height. I hope we can put our political differences aside this time around to make Sarawak the best state in Malaysia.
With that I conclude my speech. Thank you, Tuan Speaker.
David Wong Kee Woan
ADUN for N.48 Pelawan
November 2011.
感谢议长允许给我机会来辩论砂州财政预算案
议长,砂州人民在等待州政府预期所宣布的2012年预算案,看看政府在2012年为他们安顿了什么。但更重要的是,他们希望看到政府如何能够消除贫困,带来实际的发展,创造就业机会,与他们分享财富和消除州内的腐败行为以及裙带关系。许多人也想知道,当首长退位之后谁将是未来砂州首长。
首长所宣布的预算案让人民觉得彻底的失望,因为国阵提出的预算案根本没有提及砂州人民最关注的问题。首长和财政部长所提呈的预算案,人民感到彻底的失望,毕竟人民最切身的问题没有得到解决,由这举动再次表明首长根本不知道砂州人民要的是什么。
砂州人民已经在新闻报导得知由民联所推出的2012年替代财政预算案,他们对于替代预算案感到无比的兴奋。预算案的主题为“民主化砂朥越的经济”(3)主要推荐的是财政透明度和问责制,权力下放,给予社会援助予被边缘化的一群及经济转移,远离自然资源开发。
砂州被忽略了48年
砂朥越是马来西亚最大和最富有的州属。这受祝福的州属拥有丰富的天然资源如石油,天然气,矿产,肥沃的土壤,油棕以及木材。我们以自己是砂州一份子及我们的习俗和文化感到自豪。我们应该是最发达的州属,而不是最贫穷的州属之一。
我们的社会福利,妇女事务和家庭发展部长拿督法蒂玛在31-10-2011时说砂朥越,沙巴和吉兰丹是马来西亚最贫困的三个州。我必须对讲真话的部长给予掌声,这显示出她有关心人民关于日益攀升的生活费。虽然我不认同她对于贫穷的定义(家庭收入从RM450提高到RM830)因为以现时的状况即使是RM830也是难以糊口。
为什么我们是贫穷州属之一?
我们拥有高达RM4.8亿的年度预算案,如果与雪兰莪和槟城相比后者分别只有12亿令吉和900万令吉。砂州子民应该享有公平分配州的财富,他们不应该羡慕雪兰莪和槟城的子民。雪兰莪州政府给予免费自来水,设立信托基金给所有新生儿及给RM2500予去世者的家庭。槟城政府给年长者每年RM100,每年RM100给单亲父母及伤残人士。民联州属展现给人民和国阵看,只要有廉洁的政府就有足够的财富与人民分享。
我们究竟给了砂州子民什么?
我们除了取之于民,是否用之于民?
我们已经被选为人民代表,在这立法议会殿堂里我们为砂州子民做了什么?我所敬重的议员们,让我们把政治分歧放在一边,应该把人民的切身利益列为首要任务,共同修订及通过关系人民利益的法令。如果我们可以做到这点,那么我们将可以为砂州带来更高的成就及为砂州子民带来前所未有的真正发展。虽然砂州拥有得天独厚的丰富天然资源,也只有透过这样我们才能建立一个真正惠民的福利州。首先国阵政府要做的就是听取民联代议士为人民发出的声音,我坚信我们在这里为民请命是协助政府提供更好的给人民缔造一个卓越的砂朥越。
砂州子民已经受够了当前的情况,促使我们的青年成群结队地离开,前往西马或外国谋生。砂州是否还有环保的土地给砂州子民?我们必须承认当中出现错误,应该尽速纠正这样的情况。
我们郊区的人民大多数生活在贫困的环境中。他们的习俗地被大集团挪用,并且雇佣外籍劳工而不是砂州子民。砂州41%乡区人民依然没有最基本的建设,例如自来水供应和电流供应。高达33%乡区人民没有电流供应。即使我们州政府已经耗资多亿美元来建造巴贡水坝,水力发电计划。为什么还能允许这种情况发生?
长屋被火烧毁,仅仅是因为乡区没有器材和基本设施,让他们拥有基本的救火设备来保护他们生命和财务的损失。
挑战和期望
根据我们的观察,我们子民要的是繁荣的砂朥越,而不是生活在贫困中。那是人民最高的要求,是我们身为民选议员应该去履行的职责。有几个最基本的挑战,我们应立即解决。例如以下:
1. 权利下放和消除在财政部的“黑洞”。首长兼财政部长拥有太多的资源和权利来管理及规划砂州的资源分配。3个部门控制了2011年,总数3,630.3亿令吉发展开支中的64%的经费,而其它10部门却只共用其余38%的预算。这造成资源分配不均和资源配置不合理。更多的资金需要分配到地方政府,因为它们的运作将影响到砂州人民的生活所需。在过去5年财政部的“黑洞”已经造成RM7,290亿资金分配下落不明。财政部从没对此事做出解释和解决。如果没有停止这种荒谬的资源分配,我们如何能够实现经济发展?
2. 从石油及天然气所赚取的盈利,成立一个信托基金,例如已经在登嘉楼实施的基金。但 是,我们必须要有足够的开采税才能做到这一点。我们可以开始要求联邦政府重新检讨石油和天然气的开采税。石油开采税从原有的5%增至20%。这将为砂州带来额外每年3亿令吉的收入,更多或少必须依据当时的国际原油价格的波动。这些一半的钱应该用来投资在砂州的未来,保护砂州子民的利益。因为我们的石油和天然气储存量将被耗尽的一天。挪威是一个我们可以模拟的模仿(政府养老基金-全球(挪威:Statens pensjonsfond - Utland, SPU)是一个由石油所赚取的基金。这基金在2006年1月改名,之前名为挪威石油基金。该基金通常被称为石油基金(挪威:Oljefondet)。截止2011年6月,这是世界上最大的基金。
3. 使用我们广阔肥沃的土地成为马来西亚的饭碗。我们拥有广阔肥沃的土地,可是目前我们正进口成千上万吨的大米,这对于我们来说是一种耻辱。我们应该给予年满21岁的年轻人机会进入务农的行业。目前州政府所作的是把土地交给大集团发展,包括来自西马的公司。而我们砂州的子民无法从中受惠,只能沮丧的观望。在泰国发生的水灾已经给我们非常明确的提示,基本主要粮食是不能依赖他人供给。我们拥有广阔肥沃的土地,我们拥有辛勤工作的人民,我们需要的是租用土地和一些创意与激励,使这些事成为可能。在2011年,砂州拥有71,000公顷耕种稻米的土地,政府也资助RM86亿给这个领域。砂州每年稻米需求约460000吨,可是砂州只生产35%的米量,与国家给予的数据相比大约低过70%。执政砂州48年的国阵依然没有对粮食安全负起应有的责任。
4. 设立农业基金给我们年轻人申请,让他们可以往油棕业发展。让所有年轻人有机会进入油棕业发展,透过租用10英亩土地做为开始。出租土地给他们,并且提供技术知识,以及最初的创业贷款。10英亩成熟的油棕能为种植者家庭带来每月RM5000-RM8000的收入。这也为州政府增加税收,并且减低砂州的贫穷率。
5. 建造更多的廉价屋个年轻人申请。我们需要在州内各地建造更多的廉价屋,使到年轻人有能力拥有自己房子。目前在诗巫,民都鲁,美里和古晋中间双层排屋售价为34万至40万令吉。这对于收入少于RM3000的家庭,已经无法承担这样的屋价。此外,这将提供更多的就业机会和刺激疲弱的经济。
6. 教育。砂州需要更多的高等学府,尤其是像诗巫这样的大城镇。诗巫的经济受到重大的打击,因为没有一间全面的大学,年轻的学子纷纷离开家乡到外继续更高的教育。如果木胶可以拥有玛拉大学和理工学院,为何诗巫不能建造一所全面的大学来应付中区学子的需求?
7. 透明度和问责制。公开招标似乎是国阵最大的敌人。国阵领袖家庭成员给予授权,即使是上亿元的合约。我们不能再这样下去,如果我们要有一个廉洁和有效率的政府。人民感到愤怒,如今将怨气发泄在国阵领袖身上。贪腐的行为必须停止,但2012年砂州财政预算案毫无触及表示政府将如何解决这项问题。
8. 犯罪和安全。10月在诗巫西岸巴湾阿山选区里的一个家庭,4名成员遭一群外劳攻击,其中3人在这事件中死亡。唯一生存者是因为装死才幸运逃过一劫。这谋杀事件轰动诗巫,也响起了安全警钟。在这之前行动党诗巫州议员在武吉阿拾区州议员黄和联带领下曾会见诗巫警区主任,并提交一份备忘录,其中包括在诗巫的非法外劳问题。我们被告知,在政府漂白计划下警方没有权利采取任何行动,直到该计划进行完毕为止。我们希望州政府可以立即采取必要的措施和严厉的行动来打击非法外劳。州政府可以使用我们的特殊移民权利给予移民厅压力,成立一个专案小组来监督有关情况。我们不希望这些非法外劳造成社会动荡。我们有权利知道警方处理这事件的进展以及相关的计划来打击在诗巫和砂朥越的非法外劳。
9. 根除贫困和建造社会安全网,为年长者,伤残人士,单亲家长与孩子提供贫困支柱。我们应该能够宣布一项福利计划来舒缓这群弱势群体的负担。如果槟城约RM900万的年度预算案可以给RM100予年长者和单亲家长。那么以我们48亿的年度预算案,我们应该可以给RM600.
10. 基本建设。砂朥越应该彻底改头换面,才能吸引外来投资。尤其是外国直接投资。多媒体走廊不应被政府视为唯一可行的投资计划,因为现时我们还没有一条符合水准及完整的南北高速公路。砂州所有大道在R3道路标准以下,然而我们西马的同胞却享有R5水准的道路。砂州许多城镇依然没有像样的道路和排水系统,在内陆地区基本公共设施缺乏如自来水和电流供应。请不要告诉议会我们没有钱。1)上述可以解决资金短缺的问题。
11. 交通运输。虽然联邦政府花费40亿在吉隆坡兴建集体运输系统,砂朥越公共交通系统亟需改善。在2011年8月,行走诗巫拉让花园和周边地区的巴士公司,在没有对外宣布的情况下停止载客服务,对几十年必须依赖巴士服务的人士造成困扰。影响最大的是老年人,学生和那些没有交通工具的人。即使是先进的国家都有提供完善的公共交通系统给人民使用,为他们的人民带来好处。但是,砂州政府对于州内缺乏公共交通的问题视而不见。在西马年长者在使用公共交通时可以享有50%折扣的优惠,相对的砂州子民拥有什么?砂州从4.4亿燃油津贴中获分配2亿的津贴,随后的每30仙燃油价用于改善公共交通系统和另外2千万用于购买燃料给内陆居民。。。。。我们钱花在哪里?
12. 不足的航班和连接点。除了古晋,诗巫,民都鲁及美里的人民面对飞往西马和新加坡之间航班短缺问题。诗巫机场正花费数百万元进行扩建计划,但是是否拥有足够的航班从诗巫飞往吉隆坡,古晋,哥打京那巴鲁,柔佛和新加坡?人民投诉遭航空公司玩弄,马航宣布将在2011年12月重新飞行吉隆坡-诗巫航线。在2011年7月飞荧接手之后。在外求学的砂州学生面对航班短缺的问题,特别是在开斋节,华人农历新年和丰收节。是时候砂州政府开放航空给外国航空公司提供航空服务。
13. 旅游业。我们需要多些投资在旅游业,因为这是可持续的绿色工业,不会对环境造成污染。旅游业及相关活动推动不同领域的增长和就有机会。如果非洲国家可以使用自然生态来吸引游客,为何砂州政府不能做到?我们拥有一些自然生态是世界上最完美的,但是在推动旅游景点来吸引游客的工作上,我们做的还不够。
14. 提供森林管理。砂州天然资源几十年来一直被国阵政府用来谋利,造成环境破坏所引发的污染和影响自然生态系统。河流被污染,多年来我们河流中的水质不断的恶化。政府必须要有先见之明,因为水将是我们未来最宝贵的资源之一。
15. 雇佣的当地人。大型油棕公司必须扮演照顾本地劳工的角色,提供就业机会以及实行最低薪金制,让本地工人可以生存。民都鲁国会议员同样认为政府不应该没有节制的发出工作准证,从而造成本地工人失业,被迫离开家庭,离开砂朥越到外寻求工作。我们可以拥有一个工人分配机制来制衡,使本地人与外国人保持在一个目标。
16. 华小和教会学校。我们呼吁承认华小和教会学校在多元种族社会所发挥的重要性。州政府通过难道预算案制度化拨款给华小和教会学校。槟城,雪兰莪,吉兰丹甚至是沙巴都已经这样做。教育应该是色盲,因为它是社会的基本基础。只有通过这样的措施才能真正良好的推动多样化和动态的教育系统至不同的社会领域。我想再次强调,我们砂州预算案多出其它州属好几倍,时时候可以拨款给相关的学校。
17. 公共服务委员会。许多人抱怨说,目前公共服务委员会对有意加入政府部门的某些族群存有歧视。砂公共服务委员会已设定目标,以实现更加公平和公正工作态度,分布在砂州各地。执行选贤能者带领的制度,以确保最好的服务给予付薪水给他们的老板(人民)。
18. 最后,不代表不是重要的问题。要提醒已经在2011州选做出退位承诺的首长。然而,一直在物色适合接位人选之际,人们会觉得首长没有认真看待他的退休计划。人民有权利知道谁将是砂州未来的领导,毕竟州选已经过了半年,首长有权利选择他属意的人选来取代他的位子。首长应该於2012在立法议会正式对外宣布他的接班人。在这会议期间是它最好的宣布时机,不然他就是想反悔他之前所承诺的2年退休的计划。我们不觉得需要保密,除非首长觉得在他的内阁里没有人适合接手他的位子。
议长先生,我的18论点提醒我们48年前参组马来西亚,我们有18点签署条约来保障我们的利益。但是,我们没有善用这些条约来带领砂州迈向更高的层次。我希望我们可以放下政治分歧,共同缔造砂州成为马来西亚最佳的州属。
我结束我的发言。谢谢您,议长