Defeat in Rantau proves people running out of patience with PH — SUPP Youth chief
KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan’s ( PH) defeat in the Rantau byelection should serve as a wakeup call to the federal government of the day that the people are running out of patience.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth chief Michael Tiang, who pointed this out yesterday, said the election outcome on Sunday marked the third time in a row that PH had been defeated.
“PH government now holds a new record - a ruling political alliance being defeated three times consecutively in Malaysian by- elections.
“This is an alarming message to the PH government, that although the new government is asking for more time to fulfil their election promises, the people are running out of patience,” he said when prompted for comments on the by- election results.
Tiang, who is political secretary to the chief minister, opined that the PH government “is governing the country against the wishes of the people”.
Instead of committing to turn PH election promises of making Malaysians’ life better into reality, he said the PH government had introduced new taxes like Sales and Services Tax (SST), Soda Tax, Departure Tax, Imported Services Tax and most recently the Digital Tax to burden the people.
He asserted that PH’s defeat in the Sunday by- election as well as its defeats in the last two byelections before Rantau “further validates Sarawakians’ belief that the PH government is not capable of fulfilling what they have promised to Sarawak in their manifesto”.
According to him, among the unfulfilled election promises are to restore Sarawak’s status as an equal partner pursuant to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63).
He said it was not enough that the PH government attempted to pass a half-cooked amendment Bill in Parliament early last week.
Tiang noted that voters from Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and Rantau were given a second chance to cast their votes after the 14th General Election and they voted against PH.
“I believe many Sarawakians have seen how PH has been denying our entitlement to the national resources and development in their first year of ruling.
“The next Sarawak state election, which must be called the latest by 2021, will be a second chance given to Sarawakians to cast their votes,” he said.
He expressed confidence that Sarawakians would join voters in Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and Rantau in denying PH’s credibility as a political alliance when it came to respecting and honouring Sarawak’s position and rights.
On Sunday, Barisan Nasional candidate Mohamad Hasan retained the Rantau state seat for the fourth consecutive term after defeating three other candidates in the by- election.
The Umno deputy president and former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar won by a majority of 4,510 votes after garnering 10,397 votes.
Other contestants in the fourcornered fight were PH’s Dr S Streram and Independent candidates, namely housewife R Malarvizhi and former lecturer Mohd Nor Yassin.
The Rantau by- election is the seventh since the last general election. By- elections have been held for the Sungai Kandis state seat, Balakong state seat, Seri Setia state seat, Port Dickson parliamentary seat, Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat and Semenyih state seat.