‘Sarawak not KL colony’

SARAWAK Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem says Sarawakians do not want the state to be regarded as “Kuala Lumpur’s colony”.

He said he will defend and reclaim the rights granted to the state under the Malaysia Agreement, Sin Chew Daily reported yesterday.

He pointed out that the thumping victory secured by Barisan Nasional (BN) in the last state polls was incredible as it was beyond his expectations.

He said although he knew BN would win, he did not expect the coalition to achieve such a handsome victory.

“Perhaps because I am handsome. (I am) just joking,” Adenan, who is known for his humour, said in jest during a gathering with Sarawakians living in Peninsular Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

He attributed the overwhelming win to the people’s greater awareness and their belief that Sarawak BN can get the best deal for Sarawakians from the federal government and protect the state’s rights, particularly on its autonomy on certain matters.

“We (Sarawak BN) have been stressing that Sarawak is not Kuala Lumpur’s colony.”

Adenan emphasised that the Malaysia Agreement is an internationally-recognised pact and cannot be changed at anyone’s whims.

He said the agreement stipulated the special privileges and rights for Sarawak when it formed Malaysia with the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (now Sabah) and Singapore.

“If not for these privileges and rights and if the people of Sarawak had objected to the agreement, we would not have Malaysia as it is today,” he said.

Adenan said after more than 50 years, some leaders may have forgotten the special rights and privileges of Sarawak in the agreement, resulting in some of them being taken away by the federal government.

He said the state government had declared July 22 as Sarawak Independence Day to show its determination to fight for its rights.