Tuan Speaker,
I rise to debate on the Motion in appreciation to the speech delivered by his Excellency Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) in this august House on this 2xth day of June 2011.
I would like to say thank you to the voters of N. 48 Pelawan for giving me the mandate to represent them for the next 5 years.
Part 1
Sarawak under the BN
For 48 years, Sarawak has been dominated by the BN's politics of cronyism, nepotism, political patronage and corrupt practices. The majority of the Sarawakian has never been able to enjoy the state ample and rich resources while those few with close ties with the BN's leadership built vast business empires and some even expanded their empires to Canada, the United Kingdom, the US and Australia.
Our Chief Minister has gone on to YouTube prior to the just concluded state election and said that his able daughter has built the family business empire out of the little that he provided with his retirement funds.
May be the state government should organize a state-wide “ MEET THE CM’s Daughter” forum so that all the people can learn from her on how to amass wealth with little resources. I bet the ADUNs from the BN would applause such an idea?
May be the CM should consider retiring from active politics with immediate effect and spends all his energy to teach Malaysian, especially the Sarawakian on how to become rich just like his family members. Then Sarawakian and Sarawak would surely become the richest in Malaysia and that would be a real legacy for the Chief Minister.
One of the poorest states in Malaysia
Let's put on the record that up to 2010 we are still one of the poorest states in Malaysia, 4th from the bottom to be precise. Our Chief Minister has been the absolute power in Sarawak for the past 30 years and within that 30 years Sarawak has become one of the poorest states, what does that tell us? That either the Chief Minister is far from able or he doesn't wish Sarawakian to be rich like his family members?
The Chief Minister has pledged to bring developments to Sarawak and make Sarawak an advance and progressive state in Malaysia 30 years ago when he was sworn in as the CM but the exact opposite
happened.
Abuses of the BN
In Sarawak, timber has been over-logged until the rivers are contaminated and the eco-system destroyed. Log-jam stretching some 50KM and estimated some 400,000 tones of logs and timber wastes were swept down the Rajang River in 2010, leaving many people shocked by the scale of what is turning out to be an environmental disaster. How much forest was destroyed? How long would the Sarawak’s natural habitat last if we continue to exploit the natural resources?
Sarawak only receives 5% of the revenue of gas and oil which is unfair and unjust for Sarawakian as this is not renewable energy or resources. It is exploitation at its worst, no wonder the PM said we are the fixed deposit state of BN.
NCR Land is forcibly taken away from natives leaving them homeless or dislocated. Town landowners have to worry about the high renewal premiums levied on land leases.
Businesses in Sarawak are suffering from unfair policies whereby government's projects and contracts are given only to the well connected without open tender being called for. A classic example is this great building of the Dewan where the contract (worth some RM299 million) has been given to the company owns by the family members of the Chief Minister without open tender.
May be the CM wishes to make a ministerial statement in this Dewan to explain whether he has been investigated by the MACC. The MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur "The investigation is on."
Has the CM been interviewed by the MACC? We would like to know and Sarawakians have the right to know. Like the PM said, the day that the government knows best is over; it is time for the People to be informed.
Part 2
Road and drainage infrastructures in Sibu
Sibu is famous for its notorious infrastructures, the roads look like those in the war-torn countries and words can’t describe the drainage systems in Sibu. One would think and feel that he is riding a boat instead of a car; the car swears as if it’s riding the waves and then potholes everywhere would rock the car as if it is hit by a rocket. The drains, some of them in the constituency of Pelawan are upside down, imagine that!
Only in Sibu can one really see amazing sites like these .When the Rakyat complain to the authorities concerned, they would be told “No money”. Now the Rakyat know that the government would only pave certain stretches of road if there is an election coming.
The government best excuse would be Sibu is located on the peat soil area and thus it is costly to build proper roads and drains and the maintenance is very expensive. If that is the way of governing, who would need a government?
Sports and Recreational facilities in Sibu
The BN government has failed the people of Sibu as Sibu is the only big 4 municipal township without a quality indoor multipurpose stadium catering for the needs of the people. We used to have one outdoor stadium some 15 years ago but it gave way to the Wisma Sanyan and since then we are still waiting for the state government to provide one. The Bukit Lima indoor stadium is inadequate in space and facilities and it can’t even able to accommodate the Volleyball and Basketball competition and organizers of these competitions has to rent the venues of the Secondary school in town.
The Association of Volley Balls in Sibu has taken the lead and secures the corporate sponsorship of Prudential which we should applause. I would like to put on record my sincere gratitude to them for taking up the challenge to build an indoor Volley Ball stadium in Sibu. The Prudential Insurance has pledged RM 3.0 million for the construction of a 4-story indoor Volleyball stadium of International quality which can accommodate 4000 strong spectators. The whole construction cost is estimated to be in the region of RM 6.0 million and there is still a funding shortage of RM3.0 million.
How could the state government not provide the financial aids and be just a spectator in the welfare of the Sibu people? At least the state government should pledge the same amount or RM 3.0 million to develop the said stadium. We hope the Finance minister would be able to consider this request and give us the good news soon on this matter.
Bread and butter issues
In Sarawak, the inflation caused by the hike in fuels prices; sugar, flour and ever increasing Consumers Price Index have never been addressed by the BN. The people are crying out loud and many families are not able to put food on the table for their children as their incomes have not been proportionately increased with the rising food prices and other basic essential items.
Housing cost has escalated and double every 8 years or so and many cannot afford to own their own houses, the price of average intermediate double-story terrace house in Sibu has gone up to RM 320,000.oo per unit while it was only 150,000 ten years ago.
Youth and investing in the future
Sibu used to be the largest town in Sarawak, it gave way to Kuching and then Miri and soon it will be behind Bintulu and may be even Mukah. What happened? Why was Sibu sidelined by the BN governments over the past 20 years until it is the only municipal township in Sarawak without a full fledge University.
How could a place be prosperous and compete when it lacks the institutions that groom the future generations? I understand that the Methodist Church has allocated a site in the West Bank of Sibu in the constituency of Bawang Assan for the setting up of a University but the governments can not give them the green light. Why? No wonder our youth are leaving Sibu. We are what I would call investing for the others where our most brilliant mind would leave Sibu to serve other nations and other states in Malaysia, this is ridiculously unacceptable.
Chinese community and Chinese Education
The Chinese community long term hope that the state BN will recognize that mother tongue education is the basic right as enshrined in the UN chapter of Human Rights has been illusionary. The Chinese community has to pay a third kind of taxation in the name of Chinese education where they have to count on themselves to raise for funds and seek donations.
Although the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) has been proven to be of exceptional quality where it is recognized by no less than 5oo universities worldwide, it has been sidelined and put down by the BN. The BN state government has yet to provide for it since 1970.
Land issues
The land issues which we face have yet to be settled from the land renewal premium to the alienation of land to the imposition of section S.47 and S.48. Although the majorities of the urban voters have raised their concerned over the unfair land policies, the state government is still unresponsive to their woes.
The Sibu United Chinese Association (UCA) has submitted a comprehensive report to the CM just before the state election about the land issues affecting not only the Chinese community but all the communities in Sarawak. Has the CM gone through the report? May the CM enlighten us as to whether he will accept the recommendations submitted by the UCA? If not, why?
Environment and pollution
At 8th mile Jalan Oya, within the state constituency of N.49 Nangka, residents in a heavily density residential area with more than 700 houses are crying out for help. The residents have complained to the authority that their environment and health have been affected by a nearby bitumen mixing plant pouring out thick black smoke into the environment. They have done everything within their power to highlight the issues to the authorities concerned as early as 2003 but their plights have fallen on deaf ears and the authorities have turn their backs on these poor folks.
(They had in 2003 signed a petition to urge the government to relocate the bitumen plant but the authority told them that that kind of smoke would not be hazardous to their health. But if that is the case, why would the Road Transport Department crack down on vehicles which emit CO2 into the environment?)
The CM out of touch
The CM has repeatedly said he doesn’t know what the Chinese community wants when the BN lost the Sibu by-election in 2010.That shows how disconnected he is with the rakyat. How could he not know what the Chinese community wants when he has been the CM for the past 30 years?
On the other hand, the Dayaks in Sarawak are suffering in vain under the BN, one prime issue for them would be the NCR land grasp by the BN government. I doubt whether the CM knows what the Dayaks want. Ex-YB Larry Sng asked in his Facebook “Is the SUPP still relevant to the Chinese?” I think it should be read as “Is the CM or BN still relevant to the people of Sarawak?”
We Anak Sarawak, be it the Ibans, Chinese, Melanau, Malays and the Bidayu all want a CAT government where the interests of the people are the top priority. We want Sarawakian to be able to enjoy the riches of the state and we want Sarawak to be rid of corruption which has become the trade mark of the BN.
Part 3
Ubah Generations
On the 16th April 2011, the people of Sarawak have spoken out loud and clear, i.e., enough is enough! The UBAH generations have been born in the just concluded state election where people are seeking for Change and want to bring a stop to the rots in the state of Sarawak.
With almost 45% of the people voted against the BN, which in itself is a History in the making. Has the BN state leadership heard the cries of Anak Sarawak? The Premier of the Singapore Republic told Singaporean that he has heard their voices when the oppositions secured around 40% of the popular votes in the just concluded Singapore general election, he has changed his cabinet and even his own father, the MM Lee Kuan Yew was forced out of office.
Has the Chief Minister of Sarawak heard? Instead of telling the people that he has heard, he rushed to the state Astana on the night of the election to be sworn in as the Chief Minister. Was there a power tussle within the state BN that prompted the ever confident Chief Minister to lose his coolness on the night of the election? Many thought so, we would like to know because we think that is a good indicator on how the Chief Minister going to lead Sarawak in the coming years. Is he more interested to hold on to the power than listening to the woes and cries of the Anak Sarawak?
How could the Chief Minister sleep soundly when a lot of our folks who live in the interior of Sarawak are still without the basic necessities such as electric supply, clean water and basic healthcare facilities? How could the Chief Minister eat well when a lot of folks live in poverty and can't even afford to put food on the table for their kids? How could the Chief Minister rest well when a lot of our folks have to leave Sarawak because of the lack of employment opportunities?
Does the Chief Minister know that we have been labeled as the state with the "crocodiles of the two-legged kind"? Some of the general public called elected politician YB, but that YB is not meant to be Yang Berhormat but Yang Buaya! Can we blame them? The answer lies in our own conscience!
The people-oriented Pakatan Government
The Pekatan Rakyat on the other hand has shown the people that it is people-oriented and the states under the capable leadership of Pekatan Rakyat's leaders such as Penang and Selangor have shown they centered on 3Es of enabling the people with skills and education, empowering them with rights or opportunities and enriching the people by ensuring an equal share of the fruits of economic success. There is a joke among many that although the state capital of Sarawak is called Kuching or CAT in English. That is what we actually do not have in Sarawak, a CAT government.
PR has shown good governance. Penang has not only being praised by the Auditor-General Report for being the best financially managed state but also praised by Transparency International for establishing integrity in leadership.
Penang is now the new champion of investments in Malaysia, coming out top in 2010. Penang replaced the previous 2009 champion Sarawak with RM 12.2 billion in 2010. On the other hand Sarawak went down from No.1 in 2009 with RM 8.5 billion to No. 4 with RM3.9 billion in 2010.
This is an extraordinary vote of confidence by both foreign and local investors in the PR state government of Penang. The No.2 state is another PR state of Selangor with RM 10.6 billion.
In fact the 4 PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan combined comprise RM 25 billion investments or 53% of the total investments in Malaysia of RM47, 177 million in 2010.
What can the Pekatan rakyat do to bring about the changes to Sarawak? The ROCCS that was pledged by the Pakatan Rakyat within the first 100 days of gaining power in PutraJaya are what the PR will do. But those ROCCS are also good for Petrajaya as well. We challenge the BN state government to emulate the following:
1) Royal Commission of inquiry- the Sarawak state government should support the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuses of government officers.
2) Oil and gas royalty payable to Sarawak be increased to 20% from the current 5%. An increase of 15% oil royalty will pump in additional RM 3.0 billion into the state coffer to help bring rapid developments to Sarawak.
We can set up a Sarawak Hornbill Fund by channeling 5% of the 20% royalty to eradicate poverty, to give a yearly allowance of RM 600 for all senior citizen of Sarawak origin and to set up an Education Fund for all Sarawakian to obtain higher education loans and to uplift the economics of Bumiputras and non-bumiputras by giving them business or entrepreneurship loans. The Terengganu state has set up the Terengganu Investment Authority to oversee and managed a fund (Initial set up of RM RM1.0 billion) set up with the oil and gas money to safeguard the interest of the people and that Fund is being managed by foreign bankers and investors. We have more oil and gas reserve and if we managed the oil money properly, the Norway’s experience would be a good indicator how we can benefit the Sarawakian.
3) Corruption- This has to be the top priority for Sarawak. We will fight corruption by implementing an open tender system, separate business from politics and ban Chief Minister, Ministers, assistance Ministers, MPs, ADUNs, political secretaries, local Councilors from being granted state land or contracts.
4) Crimes- Sarawakian are facing the security nightmare of rising crimes from snatch theft, day light robbery and illegal migrants that bring social ills to our land. People live in fear and the ever increasing sales of alarm systems reflect the seriousness of crimes in Sarawak. I know of a semi-detached house in the constituency of N.49 Nangka where there were 5 break-ins in the past 50 days. There were also a few cases of ministers, assistance minister and MPs who have became the victims and how can Sarawak people feel safe under the circumstances. How many of these high profile cases have been solved to date? The state government must pressure the federal government to bring in more law enforcement officers to safeguard our peoples’ interests.
5) Sarawak First-Sarawak should be given the priority as the years of neglects cannot be undone unless Sarawakians are given the top jobs in the civil service to address the issues. At least 10 top Public service departments in Malaysia should be headed by Sarawakian.
Our destiny is in the hands of the UBAH generations, from 21 years old to those in the 40s and 70s, Sarawakian are demanding Changes. Across the world, from Tunisia to Egypt, from Yemen to Libya and from Sarawak to Singapore, people have risen to the challenge and demand changes in the way the governments govern. I believe the day of the corrupt powers will soon be over, money politics cannot save BN anymore and Sarawak will soon be free and reborn.
With that I conclude my speech, thank you.
