Don’t fall for same trick twice, Masing reminds Sarawakians

KUCHING: Sarawakians should avoid ‘getting tricked’ for the second time when it comes to the federal government’s promise of restoring Sarawak’s position and addressing its needs, reminds Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing.

In stating this, he recalled how the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had not shown interest in Sarawak when he was the premier between 1981 and 2003.

Masing, who is also Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation, regarded what Dr Mahathir had said in Bintulu on Saturday night was ‘just a political ploy by a peninsula-based party to take control of Sarawak’s oil and gas for good’.

“Tun Mahathir was the prime minister for 22 years, plus seven years as a federal minister holding various portfolios. Overall, he was in position of power for 29 out of 55 years since Malaysia was formed.

“Please don’t tell me he wasn’t aware of Sarawak’s position and needs in all those years.

“He wasn’t interested in Sarawak then, and is still not interested in Sarawak’s needs now. Don’t get tricked for the second time,” he said in a statement issued yesterday in response Dr Mahathir’s remarks made during the launch of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Sarawak at Bintulu Civic Centre the night before.

At the event, Dr Mahathir – also the chairman of the federal ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) – assured Sarawakians that if there were something that they were not happy about, Bersatu would make sure that such issues would be resolved and Sarawak would prosper under PH.

He added that Sarawak should be the richest state in Malaysia, should its government be able to make full use of the wealth.