S’wak PH MPs should speak up for S’wak — Dr Sim

AS representatives of the people of Sarawak, Members of Parliament ( MPs) from the state should speak for Sarawak, not to defend and speak up for Peninsular Malaysia and not know what to do in Parliament by asking what Sarawakians are fighting for.

They must realise that it is not merely about what is written in the constitution, or what was taken away intentionally or unintentionally over the years but also what is not written in the constitution and what was in the original spirit as in the Inter- Governmental Committee ( IGC) and Cobbold Commission reports, said Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian in his windingup speech at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

However, he believes it is never too late to right what is wrong “All MPs from Sarawak are of the people of Sarawak, by the people of Sarawak, and for the people of Sarawak, hence must be at all times, Sarawak First, whether you are inside or outside the Parliament of Malaysia,” he stressed.

Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak United People’s Party ( Supp) president, said he was waiting in great anticipation when Pakatan Harapan ( PH) came into power in May, hoping that they would deliver to Sarawak all that was listed in their manifesto.

He said, unfortunately, instead of the promised 20 per cent oil royalty to Sarawak PH only talked about 20 per cent oil profit and the talk to restore Sarawak’s rights under Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63) became lop-sided when the MA63 steering committee was dominated by Peninsular Malaysia leaders.

Also, instead of the promise ‘ To ensure the prosperity of the people of Sabah and Sarawak by enhancing the states’ economic growth namely through supply of clean water and clean energy to urbanandruralareas,buildroads and highways to connect towns and cities throughout Sarawak, build more public schools and health centres’ as contained in the PH Buku Harapan, Sarawak is marginalised again in the 2019 Federal Budget, he added.

Aside from that, he said more than six months had passed since the 14th general election but some PH leaders and some PH members in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly still continued to blame the previous Barisan Nasional ( BN) government for their own failures and inability to fulfil their election promises and pledges.

“Even Tun Daim Zainuddin, the chairman of Council of Eminent Persons ( CEP) under PH government, was quoted as saying ‘It is time for PH to start delivering its promises and stop pointing fingers at the previous government’,” he said.