Native, ‘lain-lain’ long running issues, says PSB man
MIRI: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) Stakan protem chairman George Young Si Ricord Jr said the issue of Sarawak and Sabah natives and the term ‘lainlain’ are both highly emotive, extremely confusing and apparently ‘resurrected’ into a long running issue.
“‘Lain-lain’ implies that the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are mere afterthoughts, and suggests that the natives of these two Borneon states are below in status to the other races in Malaysia.
“In fact, there are many among the Dayaks of Sarawak who linked their inferior participation and position in many aspects of their lives, from places in specialised schools and in public universities for their children, to employment opportunities in the public sector, to business opportunities etc to the inferior status that the government has assigned to their race,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
He pointed out that it was extremely confusing because everyone seems to know the issue but no one does anything about it, and claimed that the issue was used to fish for votes on the eve of major elections.
“The last time Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing made a major ‘announcement’ on the issue was in January 2015, about one year and three months before the state election in May 2016.
He was on record thanking (the then) prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for acceding to the state’s request to remove the ‘lain-lain’ column for Dayaks in official forms.
“Almost exactly one year before Masing’s major announcement, Najib was on record denying that the federal cabinet had decided to remove the race column in official government forms.
“Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has also tried to champion the cause, and has been reported as saying ‘Classifying our people as Lain Lain is akin to treating them as foreigners or immigrants - and demeaning’.
“With just this one issue alone and all these conflicting statements that surround it, it is no wonder that Sarawakians are a greatly confused lot. Is there a purpose to all these conflicting statements from leaders of the Sarawak government, a purpose unknown to Sarawakians?
George added the questions that is popping up in Sarawakians mind, particularly the Dayaks, was whether Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) through one or more of its leaders purposely priming Sarawakian for a final ‘pre-state election’ statement.
“In that regard, we have not heard, not in recent days nor anytime between May 2014 and now, of a Sarawak government official asking the federal government or a government MP from Sarawak proposing a bill in parliament to amend the federal constitution so as to give effect this ‘demand’ from Sarawak.
“In other words, the proposal in fact does not exist. These statements are merely a weapon in the political armoury of GPS as they prepare to go into the looming 12th state election battle,” he claimed.
He said if the GPS government and its leaders were both sincere and earnest on this matter, there is still time for MPs from GPS to use their much vaunted status as ‘king makers’ to do what is right for the natives of Sarawak, and to amend the constitution during the remaining period of this current meeting which only ends on the Oct 12, 2021.
“Also, I would like to urge the leaders of GPS to refrain from making public statements that have the potential of creating perceptions that do not mirror reality and can cause confusion among ordinary Sarawakians,” he added.