Talks with Putrajaya yet to show results — See
KUCHING: Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How has urged Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and the state government to step up efforts in the talk with Putrajaya on the devolution of powers for the 13 key subject matters which had been promised to Sarawakians and said to be ongoing more than a year without any progress.
“Malaysia Day is just around the corner. It is only fitting for the Sarawak and Sabah state governments and federal government to reveal to Sarawakians and Sabahans the progress of the meetings and discussions on the devolution of powers and make substantial fiscal allocations to the two East Malaysian states to ensure that Sarawak and Sabah can better strategise, plan and implement projects to suit the needs in the states,” he said in a press conference here yesterday.
See, who is state PKR vice chairman, said he felt the need to send this reminder because Putrajaya was paying only lip services when it came to respecting Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners in the federation.
“While promising to uphold the autonomous powers for East Malaysia, yet it is doing the opposite such as the implementation of tourism tax and continuous disposal of Sarawak and Sabah’s petroleum equity stakes to foreign companies instead of giving due respect and recognition to Sarawak and Sabah.”
He pointed out that the hypocrisy of the federal government was again exposed in the visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the United States of America.
“The pledge of almost RM100 billion investments from Malaysia to the United States in return for a short five minutes and 58 seconds meeting with the US President ( Donald Trump) is a mockery to the decency of our people and country in the international scene.
“Even the stay of the prime minister and his entourage at the Trump International Hotel was also scorned as intending to curry flavour the president but brought embarrassment to the White House.”
See said it must be devastating to all Malaysians to hear the prime minister telling the US president that his RM100 billion pledges is to help the US “in terms of strengthening the US economy” while back home, the prime minister had told Malaysians that the government had no money to pay the civil servants without imposing the goods and services tax ( GST), that the country would go bankrupt if it was not imposing GST, that it had no money for housing, hospitals, schools and PTPTN loans.
“Why does Malaysia which now records the largest debts in our country’s history, pledge RM100 billion to help the world’s largest economy and number one super power ‘ to strengthen their economy’? In terms of country economy, the gross domestic product ( GDP) of the US is 60 times that of Malaysia, standing at US$ 19.42 trillion. The RM100 billion actually do not count for much to the US but will mean a lot to Malaysia.”
Therefore, he said Sarawak and Sabah governments should ask the prime minister for the allocations to replace and rebuild their dilapidated schools, to commence work on all the hospitals that were promised to Sarawak and Sabah, roads linking all the rural towns to spur economic growth in the rural interior of Sarawak and Sabah and the basic amenities such as treated water supply and electricity to the rural homes.
“It must be stressed again and again to the prime minister and Putrajaya that Sarawak has 1,454 schools, of which 1,020 are dilapidated and 415 in critical condition. And it was the prime minister who had promised to help but said that the federal government has no money and instead urged the Sarawak government to make use of our own money to rebuild and replace the dilapidated schools.
“We must demand for a federal strategic plan and programme and immediate fiscal allocations to start rebuilding and replacing the dilapidated schools on this Malaysia Day.”
In view that the general election is coming, See hoped that Sarawak and Sabah will not be submissive as “deposit states” and be taken for a ride again by the BN federal government.
“All Sarawakians and Sabahans must take a decisive step to demand and safeguard the rights and autonomous powers of Sarawak and Sabah, for the future of our future generation.”
Also present during the press conference were PKR women national vice president Voon Shiak Ni and state PKR women legal advisor Athina Sim.