‘Sarawakians irked by Guan Eng berating state govt’
KUCHING: Many Sarawakians have expressed strong displeasure and abhorrence towards the manner federal Finance Minister Lim
Guan Eng had ‘ berated’ the Sarawak government over what was merely a very ordinary and mundane issue on Tourism Tax sharing.
Lim had nonetheless created ‘a storm in a tea cup’ when he disagreed to Sarawak Tourism Minister’s query over nonpayment of Sarawak’s share of the Tourism Tax, by also lurching out at the state government very condescendingly with insulting remarks calling the latter ‘menipu’ (cheating) and ‘ buat fitnah’ (making sinful lies) concerning the status of its federal loan, said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Dato Idris Buang yesterday.
“I would have thought that as the nation’s number one and most powerful finance man, he should have shown adroitness and composure instead of impulsive outbursts and politically- charged rebuke,” said Idris.
“The unprofessional way of his responding to the query at hand did create an air of discomfort or even disharmony between Sarawak and Putrajaya, and that would not augur well for the nation.
“In such a position as he is in now, he ought to realise that whatever he had said or done would have many far-reaching implications, ramifications and impact on our economic and political situation of the nation,” Idris stressed.
He said Lim’s position is very much looked up by all and sundry particularly by investors from all over as a kind of “human barometer or indicator” because even by his giving a frown though not a smile one could smell something not so positive about the country’s economy and so on and there would be reactions in the market.
“Undeniably his inappropriate usage of those strong but inaccurate words or terms left many of us with ‘rancid taste in the mouth’.
“But one thingclearfrom this spat or episode is that, the minister is not only showing hostility towards the state government but also his insensitivity towards Sarawak’s financial and development and needs as a whole,” added Idris.
Idris was referring to the war of words between Lim and Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, starting with the latter querying about the availability of share of Tourism Tax payable to Sarawak by the federal government and ended with Abdul Karim telling Lim off that he was just being petty to touch on the topic of federal term loan repayment.