New federal cabinet line-up a big disappointment — Political secretary
PH Sarawak already started looking for many lame excuses not to fulfill their election promises in Buku Harapan. In particular, the promise of 20 per cent oil and gas royalty and 50 per cent of tax revenues collected from Sarawak to be returned to Sarawak.
(Borneo Post) – Youth chief of Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Michael Tiang has termed Sarawak’s representation in the new federal cabinet as ‘a big disappointment’.
Tiang, a political secretary to chief minister, however, congratulated Selangau MP Baru Bian and Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen for being appointed as Works Minister and Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumerism, respectively.
“Ever since Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over Putrajaya,
Sarawak has remained on the losing end of the spectrum. Only days after the PH took over the government, PH Sarawak already started looking for many lame excuses not to fulfill their election promises in Buku Harapan.
“In particular, the promise of 20 per cent oil and gas royalty and 50 per cent of tax revenues collected from Sarawak to be returned to Sarawak,” said Tiang in a press statement received here yesterday.
He said PH MPs from Sarawak chose to remain silent throughout the whole episode of the lawsuit initiated by Petronas against the Sarawak government.
He believed many Sarawakians had found their silence to be a major let-down especially after PH had set their hopes so high during the last general election.
He said the new federal cabinet line-up had again put Sarawak on the losing side.
“Although Sarawak is one of the three founding members of the Federation of Malaysia,
Sarawak representatives only make up 4 per cent of the PH federal cabinet.
“This is the tiniest number of representatives in the cabinet since 1963. Where is the change promised by PH that Sarawakians were voting for? In fact, this constitutes the loudest denial of our founding partner status.”
He said Sarawak DAP used to accuse former Barisan Nasional (BN) Sarawak component parties of causing Sarawak to be downgraded to one of 13 states in Malaysia.
“Likewise, I would like to demand for an answer from DAP Sarawak: Isn’t it clear that Sarawak’s position is further eroded by PH in the newly formed cabinet?
“My recent view that Malaysia should not be governed by a single political alliance is further supported by the establishment of this new federal cabinet.”
He said both DAP and PKR were not local-based political parties and therefore ‘have not much independent powers in decision-making’.
“DAP and PKR representatives in Sarawak are nothing more than auxiliary members.”
Because of this, he said the chairman of both PKR Sarawak and DAP Sarawak were only given one full minister and one deputy minister respectively.
“Whereas Warisan Sabah is an independent and local-based political party in Sabah. By winning eight seats in GE14 which is lesser than the 12 seats won by PH Sarawak, Warisan has two full ministers and two deputy ministers.”
“I, therefore reiterate that the recent formation of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) by the four local-based political parties in Sarawak has successfully restored the 1963’s original political landscape, whereby the three territories namely Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah are governed by their own local political parties independently for the purposes of check-and-balance as well as for the three territories to rule the federation together.
“This is the correct political move and integrity, which shall be preserved and respected.”
He also ridiculed Chong, who used to reject the notion of wearing official songkok at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) ceremonial activities, saying he (Chong) had put on a songkok during the swearing-in ceremony yesterday.
“By doing so, was Chong making a statement that Sarawak DUN is not as honorable and respectful as the federal cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony for him to wear the ceremonial songkok?
“If Chong chose to compromise with the songkok, how much more our PH Sarawak representatives are ready to compromise in the federal govt in the days to come?” added Tiang.
