Minos disappointed PH govt did not keep its promises

KUCHING: The Pakatan Harapan ( PH) government has not kept the promises it made to Sarawak during the May 9 general election.

A political analyst, Datuk Peter Minos, said there were expectations that there would be a ‘ray of hope’ after the general election, but nothing had been done as far as the state was concerned.

He pointed out that this had led to a feeling of desperation among Sarawakians.

“Sarawak thought that after the May 9 general election, there would be a ‘ray of hope’, but alas there has been nothing. In fact, the PH government has played hard and has said very little (about Sarawak),” Minos said.

According to Minos, it looked like Petronas would not accede to Sarawak’s request for 20 per cent oil royalty based on production, and there is little likelihood for Sarawak to be given back full powers under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) anytime soon.

But, he stressed, the people are rallying behind Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and would not give up, adding that the 20 per cent oil royalty was badly needed in order to enjoy development like the states in Peninsular Malaysia.

Minos also pointed out that the state had been looking up to the federal government since the creation of Malaysia in 1963 to help bring development to the state.

“Since 1963, Sarawak waited and waited…since 1963, Sarawak slogged on with little help from the federal government,” Minos stressed, pointing out that the usual and normal fund from the federal government plus the state’s own fund had been hardly enough to build new or improve existing infrastructures and to bring social and economic development.

He further pointed out that yearly and repeated requests from the state for extra funds had been met with little enthusiasm or even rejected.

“The big bureaucrats at federal ministries and departments have been playing with excuses and the delaying tactics, and in the end nothing came in from the federal government, which resulted in the state continuing to lag behind in all aspects,” he stressed.

The five per cent oil royalty based on production that Patronas has been giving to the state since 1974 is too little and has not helped much in the state’s development efforts, he added.