SUPP, BN politicise rabies outbreak issue, not DAP — Abdul Aziz

KUCHING: State Democratic Action Party ( DAP) Socialist Youth Petra Jaya chief Abdul Aziz Isa wants Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) to stop accusing DAP of politicising the rabies issue.

Aziz, who is special assistant to Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen, said the accusation came from SUPP Youth chief Tan Kai.

“As far as I am concerned, DAP did not politicise the rabies outbreak issue. It was SUPP and BN ( Barisan Nasional) that politicised the issue,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

The statement was issued following a talk conducted by the state Health Department and Sarawak Veterinary Association at Masjid Al-Abyad in Matang Jaya here on Saturday.

Both Abdul Aziz and Tan were among those present at the talk, aimed at raising public awareness of rabies.

According to Abdul Aziz, many complaints were lodged by residents to local councils such as Kuching South City Council ( MBKS), Kuching North City Commission ( DBKU) and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) regarding stray dogs.

“Until now, no action has been taken on stray dogs, which have the potential to spread rabies virus. What are our councillors doing? Why didn’t they call an emergency meeting to discuss the issues?

“Furthermore, I have not seen MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang for the past few weeks. Tan Kai should know that DAP is not the government of the day.

“Even though we have no executive authority at state and federal levels, we still have our duty to voice out concerns on behalf of the ‘rakyat’ (people),” he pointed out.

Abdul Aziz said Tan, who is also political secretary to chief minister, should advise Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian – also SUPP president – to instruct all local councils call an emergency meeting.

“All five local councils – DBKU, MBKS, MPP, Bau District Council and Samarahan Municipal Council – should call an emergency meeting on stray dogs instead of pointing fingers at DAP,” he stressed.