Chong says will support new chief minister based on three principles

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Thank you Tuan Speaker for giving me this

opportunity to participate in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's

speech address in this House. First of all, Tuan Speaker, I'd like to congratulate on the

appointment of the new Chief Minister. We, DAP here and Pakatan Rakyat as well will

co-operate with our Chief Minister for the betterment of Sarawak on principle of fairness,

justice and good governance. We work with anyone who help, genuinely help to build

Sarawak on the just an equal basis. To combat poverty and cast exploitation to uphold

human rights and to fight corruption.

 Tuan Speaker, we will seek for the interest of Sarawak and for the future of our

children to make the Government see our point of views. To understand the people‟s

deepest hopes and dreams, will do this by speaking up inside and outside this august

House and we will do so to change the thinking and assessments by all political leaders

on basic problem of this State. Tuan Speaker, we will be firm and arm building in our

political principles and belief for the benefit of Sarawak. I think Tuan Speaker, we have

proven ourselves yesterday when we have supported a motion that is beneficial to

Sarawak as a whole.

 Tuan Speaker, since now that we have a new Chief Minister, it is timely for us to

embark on a re-appraisal of the Government policies to date. There are three points

that I would like to highlight here about the re-appraisal of the Government policies.

 Number one, it is timely that we have to restore the moral authority of the

Government by standing up to corruption and nepotism. And by eliminating dishonesty

and self-enrichment among the inner circle of the political leaders.

Number two, to re-distribute the natural resources and wealth of the State so as to

close the gap between the rich and the poor. The have’s and the have’s not in the

State.

 Three, to re-instate public confidence and trust in the meaning of democratic

processes and rights.

 These are the three issues about re-appraisal of the Government policy and I

believe this is timely for me to raise. It is timely for me to raise these issues because we

have a new Chief Minister. On point one to restore the moral authority of the

Government. There are certain policies that ought to be changed. Policies like land

alienations policies whereby under the previous administration, hundreds and

thousands of acres of land has been alienated to family or companies. Companies

owned by family members or cronies of the political leaders of Barisan Nasional. Such

policy ought not to be continued. The second aspect is about the award of the

Government contracts which we have all these while, brought up in this august House.

Contract should be awarded in the more transparent manner, in a fairer manner, and

open tender should be carried out before the award of our contracts.

 Contract should be awarded in a more transparent manner, in a fairer manner and open tenders should be carried out before the award of the contracts and these contracts, these government contracts should not be awarded to companies, cronies‟ companies I would say. I think this is the time that the new Chief Minister should look into this policy, on the distribution of the natural resources and wealth of the State so as to close the gap between the rich and the poor. I think Tuan  Speaker, despite the fact that Sarawak is a rich State, a State which is rich in natural resources; we have a lot of poor families. And I have, an answer that I have received in Parliament giving the figures of poor families, poor and hard core poor families in Sarawak. Amongst the Ibans, this is a data up to September 2013. Amongst the Ibans, those under poor and hard core poor families, there are about 24,973 families, amongst

the Melayu, 12,727 families, amongst the Bidayuhs 4,855 families, amongst the

Melanau 4,038 families, Penans 3,045 families.

Tuan Speaker, if you attach an average of five persons per family, there are

about two hundred over thousand, 270,000 people that are living under the poverty line.

In Sarawak about 10 per cent of our population is living under poverty or hard core

poverty line. Tuan Speaker, if you look further, the poverty line index for our country, for

Sarawak it is fixed at RM830. For families earning RM830 per month, these households

are regarded as poor families. And we all know in an urban area, RM83O per month

you can hardly survive for any family. So the situation is even more serious if we take

into consideration this poverty line index that has been arbitrarily drawn and fixed at

RM830. So the situation is even more serious and for a State that has boasted of rich in

natural resources, I think this is not doing justice to our people. As such there should be

a redistribution of the natural resources, based on income level, not based on race.

On the third point, to reinstate public confidence and trust in the meaning of

democratic process and rights. Tuan Speaker, recently I heard, I have read many

statements made by our Yang Amat Berhormat Chief Minister talking about the Chinese

ought to support Barisan Nasional. There should be Chinese Ministers, more Chinese

elected representatives in the Barisan Nasional. Tuan Speaker, it just shows that the

Barisan Nasional still could not think out of the box i.e. the Chinese looking after the

Chinese community, the Malays looking after the Malay community, the Iban looking

after the Iban community. Isn't our Chief Minister, a Chief Minister for all races, for all

Sarawakians. But why is there a need for Chinese Ministers or Assistant Ministers in

the Cabinet. Tuan Speaker, I can confidently say that there were times where there

were many Chinese Ministers, Assistant Ministers in the Cabinet of the Sarawak State

Government. But they have failed, failed the Chinese community, as such they are

rejected by the Chinese community either because of their own failure to bring out

issues, to address issues that are at the heart of the Chinese community or it is as a

result of Barisan Nasional's policies as a whole in general.

As such Tuan Speaker, if Yang Amat Berhormat wishes to win the hearts of the

Chinese community to support Barisan National, it is not through this way of making

threats of Chinese being marginalized in the state planning policy. These threats will

not be well received by the Chinese community. If Yang Amat Berhormat truly wants to

win the hearts of the Chinese community, show us some policies that are worth

supporting and amongst them is allocation for Chinese schools, annual allocation for

Chinese schools. There has been an announcement about alienation of a parcel of

land 2000 hectares somewhere in the northern part of Sarawak for Chinese middle

schools.

Tuan Speaker, that announcement was made many years ago, until now the land

title has not been issued yet. Until now many still could not see the land and I believe

there is no road access to the land. That was identified to be alienated for the Board of

Management of the Chinese middle schools and whether on that parcel of land there's

any native customary right claim, we don't know, given that there are about 200 over

cases of native customary right land claim filed in court. I will not be surprised that the

parcel that had been identified and proposed to be alienated to the Board of

Management of Chinese Middle School, is also subject to NCR claims and once the

land is alienated to the Board of Management of the Chinese Middle School and if that

NCR claims surface, what will happen? The government policy is fitting one group of

people to go against the other group of people and that is not conducive to harmonious

living in Sarawak. There are lots of state lands in the vicinity of Kuching that's worth

millions per acre. If the government is sincere, you could easily identify about 10 acres

to be alienated immediately to the Chinese Middle Schools and they can start building

shop houses sell it or rent it to generate income. That is one way to do it. The other

way to do it is just allocate a certain sum ten, twenty million a year for Chinese Middle

Schools. What is so difficult? We have five billion revenue a year. Out of that five

billion, ten, twenty million for the development and assistance of Chinese Middle

Schools and that can also be applicable to missionary schools. I don't see any financial

difficulty for the state government to do that. That is one of the aspects of how to win  

the hearts of the Chinese community. The other way to win the hearts of the Chinese

community and also general population in Sarawak especially the urban folks is a farer

economic policies like what I have said open tenders, do not allow the cronies, inner

circles of the political leaders of Barisan National to monopolize or control the bulk of

our economic resources.

The third way to win the support of the Chinese community and the urban folks,

is to have more efficient, transparent and clean government administration. Tuan

Speaker, without a transparent government administration breeds corruption. When

developers apply for sub division approval for sub division of their land to build houses

they have to go through SPA approval. Some of the application sits in SPA office for

months or even years before it was approved. This all adds on to the financial cost of

these developers. At the end of the day it will be transferred to the house purchasers.

Why do we need to wait so long for just simple SPA approval? Why is there no time

frame set, a guideline set down to fix the time where application is received and

approval or a decision to be delivered? This will cut down a lot of red tapes, a lot of

time wasted, a lot of financial cost and it will prevent corruption as well.

 And the other way that you can win the hearts of the urban people is by having a

fairer land policy on land lease renewal. Tuan Speaker I like in this juncture to raise the

issue of land lease renewal in the town of Betong. In the town of Betong, there was a

policy set by the state government whereby land situated within three kilometres radius

of Betong town. Their land leases would not be renewed upon expiry. It's a blanket

freezing of renewal of land leases for land situated within three kilometres radius of

Betong town. Tuan Speaker, why is such a policy set down by the government? We still

see new shop houses being built by developers who are close to the power that be, who

has close relationship to the high political leaders of Barisan Nasional. New shop

houses being built, i.e. land were alienated to these companies, but for the common

folks when their land leases expired if their land is situated within three kilometres of

Betong town, their application for renewal of land leases would be rejected and had

been rejected and Land and Survey are rejecting them also. These are policies that

does not go down well with the people. And these are policies that gives the

government a bad name.

Another way is on having a fairer electricity tariff, fairer electricity policy, lowering

the tariff which I will elaborate later in my debate.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: So, Tuan Speaker, in order that Barisan Nasional wins

the heart of the Chinese Community do not mete out threats about no Chinese Minister

there for Chinese will be sidelined. This threat doesn't work, this threat has been

metered out by SUPP for decades, 30 years ago it may persuade the people to support

Barisan Nasional, now you will only repeal the voters. As such, I hope I will not be

reading such statement from the YAB the Chief Minister. Show us what you can do.

Show us what Barisan Nasional government can do, through your policies to win the

heart of the people, not by threats. In this essential I would like also to bring out the

issue on the banning of some of the members of Parliament from West Malaysia or

Pakatan Rakyat from entering into Sarawak.

Tuan Speaker, we in DAP, our stand is that we support the immigration autonomy

of Sarawak. Anyone who attempt to take away that autonomy we will be the first one to

object to that. We are of the view that the immigration autonomy of Sarawak should not

be tampered with should not be anyway undermined, but such autonomy should not

also be abused. There are several personalities which I have, I know them personally,

people like Rafizi, people like Saifudin Nasution, I listen to their statements in

Parliament and people like Theresa Kok, and I was informed that Tony Pua, saudara

Tony Pua was also banned from Sarawak, I would like to seek confirmation whether

this is true or not. Tony Pua has been well known throughout Malaysia for rising issues

on financial accountability of the Government, rising issues audit, the scandals that's been exposed by the Auditor- General every year. Saifudin Nasution has been

talking about beras issue, BERNAS issue about how the government through BERNAS

has exploited the people, and Rafizi we all know he is the person who exposed the cow condo scandals.

These are people who has contributed to our nation by exposing this financial

scandals, and none of them in their speeches raise about racial issue, created racial

tension and yet they are banned from entering Sarawak. I believe this is, this does not

confirmed with the true practice of democracy our State immigration autonomy should

be used to protect our State's interest not to be used to protect Barisan Nasional

political interest. If Barisan Nasional is so afraid of these personalities coming into

Sarawak exposing this financial scandals making people aware of this malpractice in

this Government so much so that the Government of Sarawak has to abuse the

immigration autonomy to ban these people from entering to Sarawak. I hope our new

Chief Minister who is also trained lawyer who understand this rule of law this basic rule

of law and not abuse the immigration autonomy of Sarawak.

Tuan Speaker, any Chief Minister who serve as Chief Minister who like to leave a

legacy behind after they‟ve served the ten year of office and how would YAB our new

Chief Minister like to leave his legacy behind, does he want to leave his legacy behind

that Sarawak is a State which practice clean good governance, fair practices, just

practices and a Government that do not abuse the power and I urge YAB to look into

the three points that I stated to reappraise the government policy of State of Sarawak.

Point number two, in this change of power, change of Chief Ministership, a new

meaning  has been created about the word Deputy. All these while, we've

thought, or I've thought that the word Deputy, the person holding the Deputy post would

step into the shoe of the post that he deputised, but obviously our Deputy Chief Minister

does not step into the shoe of Chief Minister when the post is vacated … (Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: Ahli Yang Berhormat, I think it is specifically spelt out in the constitution

that the one enjoys the majority support, is there any question there?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Yes. But what is the meaning of Deputy, Tuan

Speaker? If you look at Oxford English Dictionary, the meaning of deputy, let me show

you. "A person who is appointed to undertake the duties of a superior in the superior's

absence." Naturally he steps into the shoes.

Tuan Speaker: The Chief Minister not absence. There is no absence.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Ya. But the fact is that, when he vacated his position, it

is only natural that the deputy steps in.

Tuan Speaker: I think you move on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: But in this case, that is the definition in the Oxford

English Dictionary, not my definition.

Tuan Speaker: Ahli Yang Berhormat for Kota Sentosa, I think you move on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Now we can give Oxford. We can submit to Oxford

our new definition ... (Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: That is the business of another party. I think you move on ...

(Interruption)

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: That deputy post is created for window dressing ...

(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: Just move to a next point.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: And if he can't  step into the shoe of the Chief Minister

ship when the Chief Minister retires and he still remain a Deputy Chief

Minister...(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: I think you just move on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: I think, it speaks loud and clear about...(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: There is nothing in the constitution wishes that.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: The ability of the person...(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: No no no.

Y.B Chong Chieng Jen: Then why do we need Deputy Chief Minister

post?...(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: That‟s in the dictionary only.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: When you can't even take charge when the Chief

Minister retire.

Tuan Speaker: You just move on, move on. Enough of that.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: I move now. Well Tuan Speaker, I think we have to reevaluate the deputy post. Find someone who can, capable of taking charge if they are

absence ... (Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: I think this also happened in DAP.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Okay I move on to point No.3 Tuan Speaker. Yes if I

am not in, or I am not here, I retire suddenly, my Deputy Chairman will take charge.

Tuan Speaker: Ok. Order order. Just move on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Okay I move. Tuan Speaker, point No.3 is

on...(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: Order order, please, Ahli-Ahli Yang Berhormat.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Honourable Members from Barisan Nasional who

interject...(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: Order order.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Don‟t disturb my speech. You are free to stand,

express you wish to seek clarification. Don‟t sit there and shout.

Tuan Speaker: Ok. Order order. You move on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Tuan Speaker, look at that. Tuan Speaker, on point

No.3. I‟ll move on to the point No.3 unless Honourable Member from Barisan Nasional

wish to drag me back to point No. 2. On point No. 3, Tuan Speaker, we have embarked

on the signature campaign. Inter alia to call for the reduction of electricity tariff by 30

percent for our domestic user, commercial user and industrial user. Tuan Speaker, we

started the campaign in January, end of January, 28th  of January until end of April. Our

initial target was 100 thousand signatures to be collected. But within this period of time,

we have managed to collect 113 thousand signatures. That shows an overwhelming

support and even up to today, they are people who wish to sign and participate in the

signature...(Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: Are you taking?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: And they continue, let me finish this sentence.

Continue to submit their forms to us in our signature campaign. Yes, Honourable

Member for Nangka wish to seek clarification..

Y.B. Dr Annuar Bin Rapaee: Regarding your signature campaign, you claimed that

you have gained 113,000 of signatures, may I know do you have independent auditor to

account the number of 113 knowing know that DAP during their own election could not

count a simple arithmetic.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Tuan Speaker, if Honorable Member for Nangka wish

to bury his head in the sand to the oblivious of the fact that there are so many

Sarawakians  who wish that the government can lower the electricity tariff, so be it, we will

submit this to the Honourable Chief Minister. We will submit the signature forms to the

Yang Amat Berhormat Chief Minister.

Tuan Speaker: Do you give way to the Honorable Member for Semop?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: There is how you practice. One person sign one

thousand forms, that is how you do it is it? Otherwise why you accuses us doing that?

We DAP have integrity, not like Barisan Nasional.

Tuan Speaker: Honorable Member for Dudong, order, order, order, order. Honorable

Member for Dudong, don‟t implicate anything about honesty or dishonesty against any

member. Those two words should not be used here, okay. It‟s not the question about

that thing, who is using the words. Okay. You giving way to Semop?

Y.B Encik Abdullah Bin Haji Saidol: Yes, yes, just giving. Thank you Kota Sentosa.

My question is very simple. In your course of acquiring the signatures, from one coffee

shop to another coffee shop anywhere around Kuching or Sibu, did you tell them, or

even Serian, the Minister here said, did you tell them, this is my question, did you tell

them, this signature is require to obtain a campaign for to lower the tariff or did you say

that this is to lower the electric bill? That‟s the different because what I was made to

understand from those people who have signed the signature, they said, “Oh, dia

cakap, ini signature untuk turun elektrik bil. Kalau elektrik bil, saya setujulah. Saya

sign.” That can be very deceiving you know, in tariff bill and tariff and

honesty...(interruption)

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Okay, okay. Assistant Minister thinks that your

question not good enough, so he wants to add on.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) dan Menteri Muda Perumahan (Y.B.

Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah): It‟s just Kota Sentosa, any human being

if you asked this kind of question, would you like to have something for free, of course

they will love it. If you want to have your electricity bill lowered, of course they would

like to have it. This is something where you know the answer already, so even if you

want to place it down there at the shopping complex I believe everybody will sign. Not

because they are supportive of DAP but they are all, they want to have the tariff

lowered. But then this is something which is not very fair way to get the sentiment

because they way I see it, this is not proper.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Tuan Speaker, Tuan Speaker, I agreed totally with

what Honorable Assistant Minister Member for Asajaya was saying. You know, those

who sign the form I did not say that, they support DAP but they support the signature

campaign which is to call for the lowering of the tariff. To answer Yang Berhormat for

Semop, when we go to coffee shop how we tell them? We gave them this form, this

pamphlet here behind is what our signature campaign is for. We just keep that. Some

of them read it and signed it and they asked us, we said, signature campaign untuk

merayu kepada kerajaan supaya turunkan harga elektrik and our pamphlet here is in

Bahasa, Chinese and English. I think most Sarawakians will know. So like what

Honorable Member for Asajaya has said, everybody wants it. Sure enough, so why is

not the government? Why is the government refusing to lower the electricity tariff for

Sarawakians? Ya, sure.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) dan Menteri Muda Perumahan (Y.B.

Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah): To electricity tariff, you just place down

there or across the board I want to get your signature for lower of price for sugar, lower

price for fuel, lower for anything that you want to lower public surely love it. So it not

just electricity tariff, this is what I am trying to say. Human being they love to get

something lower so you just played it out on the board. Everything have to be lowered

we are fighting on it. Public definitely will want to have it lowered. It similarly would you

like to have thing for free, of course everybody would say yes give me. If I can apply for

BR1M I would apply for BR1M, too because it‟s for free. It just that I cannot. You see,

it‟s something like that. So anything that is for free, anything that you want to reduce of

course everybody would love that, it would love that.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Ya, as if I did not get his point. I got your point clear

and loud. Loud and clear that you also support this signature campaign. Now the

question is whether the government can afford it. That is the question. We want a

lower tariff for Sarawakian. Yes, a lot of people wants it. Even Asajaya wants it. So

now the question is whether we can afford it?

Tuan Speaker, I think we have also stated in our pamphlet here behind where

there sign. This is just part of it. This is just part of the signature form. Everyone of

them that we have collected, were 110,000 with I.C and signatures and names.

Whether we can afford it. Tuan Speaker, there are three reasons.

Tuan Speaker: The Honourable Member from Marudi stand. Do you give a way?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Ya, okay.

Menteri Muda Kemudahan Awam (Bekalan Air) dan Menteri Muda Menteri Muda Kemudahan Awam (Bekalan Air) dan Menteri Muda Pertanian

(Pertubuhan Peladang) (Y.B. Datuk Sylvester Entrie Anak Muran): Tuan Speaker,

the signature campaign is very misleading indeed. Very misleading. It is a very simple

campaign. Now DAP is very proud that they had achieved 100,000 signatures. But it‟s

started from January until now for four months ya, it‟s means that the people did not

succumb to what the good sweet that were use by the DAP. Right? So it‟s nothing

  proud of that because you are misleading the people without considering what are the implications and your pamphlet is very simple, very simple without telling the actual fact what is going on. at were use by the DAP.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Our campaign is based on facts. Unlike what the

Assistant Minister just now said. Just rhetoric, you‟re misleading the people without

substantiating. Our campaign is based on fact. Can SESCO afford to lower electricity

tariff by thirty percent (30%).

Tuan Speaker, with the operations of Bakun Dam. Tuan Speaker, cost of

generation of electricity for SESCO is reduced to 0.065 ringgit Malaysia. i.e 6.5 cent per

kilo watt hour for electricity generated by Bakun Dam. There‟s how cheaply SESCO

purchase electricity from Bakun Dam. 6.5 cent per kilo watt hour but SESCO is selling

to us electricity at the tariff of 30 cent per kilo watt hour. That is four five hundred

percent profit margin. Of course I agreed that they are cost of transmission or cost of

distribution. There are some lost of power along the way when the power is generated

in Bakun Dam and transmitted to the end user. But Tuan Speaker, how costly can they

lost empower or cost on transmission and distribution? How costly can those cost be?

Tuan Speaker, so that is why we are not asking SESCO to lower by 50% or 60%.

We are just asking SESCO to lower the tariff by 30% based on the cost of generation

and secondly SESCO is selling electricity supply to Press Metal, Tokoyama and some

of the small tin plant in Samalaju, the SCORE area, as low as 11 cent per unit of

electricity but they are selling to local industrial list at the price 30 cent per unit which is

double, triple the price they sale electricity to this small tin plant. SESCO has been

giving the excuse of bulk buying there is cheaper rate.

Tuan Speaker, even bulk buying would be that cheap. Even bulk buying it will

mean that SESCO can make money, can make profit at the price of 11 cent per unit.

They can still generate profit at that price, 11 cent per unit otherwise the more you sell

the more loss will be. So with that benchmark what we are asking for is only lowering

by 30%. 21 cent per kilo watt one hour not the present 30 cent per kilo watt per hour for

the local user. Is that too much to ask? Point number three, the third reason for calling

on SESCO to lower the electricity tariff by 30% is on the fact that SESCO is making a

profit of RM266.6 million in the financial year 2012. Financial year 2013 they have not

published the financial account. So I do not know. But based on 2012 financial report

RM266.6 million a year. Free tax profit and with such profit, Tuan Speaker, SESCO has

to pay RM60 million in tax to the federal government.

Tuan Speaker, SESCO is a public utility company. When a public utility company

make such huge profit, it‟s mean that the common user are paying very highly. Higher

than they should be paying and if you look at from perspective of Sarawak, we all

subscribe to the idea of Sarawak for Sarawakians. The payment of RM60 million tax to

the Federal government is an outflow of money from the general public of Sarawak to

the Federal government. Can we lower the tariff? So that we don‟t have to pay so much

tax. Can we lower the tariff so that people will be paying for the cheaper electricity tariff? This will bring benefit to everyone including Honourable Member for Asajaya. So these are fact that we base on in our campaign to go for reduction of tariff by 30%.

SESCO and I think the Honourable Member, Assistant Minister for Public Utility has

come out with statement saying that lowering tariff by 30% were under mind SESCO‟s

financial ability. The result in many of the 4000 employees of SESCO losing their job.

Show us the figure, convince me with figures to say that. Lowering by 30% were under

mind the whole financial ability of SESCO. Don‟t just result to rhetoric.

Tuan Speaker: Do you give way to Honourable Member from Nangka.

Y.B. Dr Annuar Bin Rapaee: Thank you, Tuan Speaker. Lowering tariff of 30% has

been spear head the campaign by the DAP and one of the most important we know that

lowering of the tariff or lower electricity tariff one of the main reason is because of hydro

electricity. All this while DAP is asking for lowering of tariff, on the other hand, their

against the government of developing hydro electricity. May I know where is they stand

now? Developing hydro electricity or lowering tariff?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Tuan Speaker, what we are against is the indiscrete

unnecessary building of dams excessive building of dams. Tuan Speaker, our call for

lowering of 30% tariff is based on the existing dam that we have, existing dam that have

already been built. If you build some more dams, we go for lower, further lower of

tariffs. Even we now with the existing dam that we have, we should enjoy a 30%

reduction in the electricity tariff, so Honourable Member for Nangka, don‟t twist my

words. I have given you submission opportunity to seek clarification.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Tuan Speaker, we have sacrificed our jungles, our

land, our biodiversity resources also for building of Bakum Dam which is bigger than the

size of Singapore. Why can‟t local Sarawakians enjoy some benefit out of that? Out of

the sacrifice we suffer? That is the first thrust of our Signature Campaign lowering tariff

by 30% and we back it up with figures and facts to support our calls and I will invite

Honourable Ministers to convince me otherwise if he has the facts but not to resolve to

rhetoric, political rhetoric and scare tactics, scaring the people, the employees of

SESCO and SCB.

Tuan Speaker: Do you give way?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Yes.

Menteri Muda Kemudahan Awam (Bekalan Air) dan Menteri Muda Pertanian

(Pertubuhan Peladang) (Y.B. Datuk Sylvester Entrie Anak Muran): You see DAP is

very good, is very good in street demonstration. If you want to demand you go for

signature campaign. If your signature campaign is not enough then you for street

demonstration. That is how you want to demand you see. So what you are doing is

really illogical and unreasonable at all. Okay. That‟s all.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: No wonder still remain an Assistant Minister only. I

invite him to show me facts and figures, he give me further rhetoric. I will move on to

the second thrust of our signature campaign, that is to reduce power outages Tuan

Speaker, in the last two or three years, SESCO is only focussing on mega projects ie.

dam, building but has overlooked the general upgrading and maintenance of the

distribution and transmission network. So much so that power outages is getting more

frequent and yesterday, power outages happened in Padungan, Pending area, many

times in a day. It is reported in the newspaper here. Hui Sing area also. The day

before power outages happened in Miri and we are paying so much, RM4.5 million a

year to engage a foreign CEO, a Norwegian CEO to look into this electricity supply

planning for our State. The more he planned, the worst it become. So, therefore in our

Second Thrust for our signature campaign, we also call on the government to ensure

that SCB and SESCO, do carry out regular maintenance and upgrading of the

transmission and distribution network so as to reduce power outages and I know for a

fact SESCO try to justify outages by saying that there is no utility supplier, they can

have zero power outage. There is no city in the world that have zero outages. I am

not asking for zero outages, zero power outage but just that the outages are getting too

frequent and getting more fluent.

 The Third thrust of our signature campaign is to terminate the employment of this

expatriate who are sucking money from Sarawakian in general. This is particular the

CEO of SESCO. He was engaged since November 2009. Up to now he has received

salary cum allowances of up to RM20 million. All these, every single cents of this RM20

million come from the Sarawakian who pay electricity bill every month. And that is him

alone. For this 4 ½ year, RM20 million total.

 Tuan Speaker, nothing will justify paying such high salary to this expatriate.

Initially it was RM19 million. It has been reduced to RM6 million now. Under the direct

employment of SCB and SESCO. It has been reduced to RM6 million because of the

pressure by the opposition.

 Tuan Speaker, however, although the number of those expatriate directly

employed under SCB has reduced, however, they go by the back door entering into

consultancy contract with this Norwegian Company, an overseas company. And if you

go to SESCO Headquarters now, you can see a lot of this expatriate sitting there,

claiming money from SCB, under the pretext of giving consultancy work.

 Tuan Speaker, I just have the benefit of reading an article that is published by the

No Consult Company. This No Consult Company, I read it or I said published by its

website, is a large engineering firm in Norway. I quote “No Consult has announced its

newly established subsidiary in Borneo, No Power Sdn Bhd, has signed several new

contracts for hydropower project in Sarawak Energy. The Company has contract for

the pre-engineering phase for the 1200 Mega Watt Baram Hydo Electricity projects and

the 1300 Mega Watt Balleh Project as well as a feasibility study for the 600 Mega Watt

Pelagus Project and the completion management system for the 944 Mega Watt Murum

project.

This company is a Norwegian Company, coincidently the CEO of SCB is also a

Norwegian. Tuan Speaker, although SCB has claimed that it has reduced the

employment of expatriate but on the other hand, behind the back door, by way of

backdoor they are engaging more expatriate through all these consultancies and

services and we Sarawakian are paying for that. It doesn‟t conform to the phrase of

Sarawak for Sarawakian.

Tuan Speaker: Do you give way?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Pardon?

Tuan Speaker: Do you give way to Ahli Yang Berhormat for Jemoreng?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Yes, please.

Y.B. Encik Abu Seman Bin Jahwie: Thank you Tuan Speaker. Just now Ahli Yang

Berhormat for Kota Sentosa said since 2009, the CEO of SCB has received RM20

million. I just want to know, or my colleague just want to know. How you get the figure

and when do you get it. Is there any inside man telling you that this is the figure? Thank

you.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Your Minister told me. He confirmed in the Dewan.

RM4 million a year, salary. So you times it. Do a simple mathematic calculation. It

comes to RM20 million up to now. Your own Minister has confirmed that. So obviously

you are not listening to the winding up speeches of your Ministers. That‟s why you ask

question like that.

 So Tuan Speaker, I believe we have enough talent in Sarawak. We have enough

talent among Sarawakians to take charge of SCB and we don‟t need, we don‟t need

these expatriates. We have Idris Jala for example. He can head the whole

transformation, government transformation programme for Malaysia. They are others

equally capable Sarawakians even those sitting behind the Ministers in this Dewan.

Many of them will be capable and they will not be asking for a salary of RM 4 million a

year. They just need One Tenth of the salary to run the job. So why are we paying so

much and yet we need so many consultancies contracts. How much, I would to ask

also. How much are we paying these consultant companies for all these consultancies

contract for mega dams.

 So, Tuan Speaker, this is so much for our signature campaign calling on the

government to implement a thorough electricity policy ie (i) to lower electricity tariff by

30% (ii) to regularly upgrade and maintain the transmission and distribution network so

as to reduce the power outages and (iii) to stop employing these expatriate at sky-high

prices. These are the Three Thrust of our signature campaign and I am glad we have

110,000 or 113,000 to be more exact people supporting it. I am not saying that all

these 113,000 signatories are supporting DAP but they are supporting the issues that we brought and they are many more. Even when we announced that we have

concluded our signature campaign, there are still forms coming in, they said “I want to

be part of it.” To fight for a more fairer electricity policy and we could have received

more signatures but for the fear that amongst many civil servants. SESCO and SCB

employees was openly supported it but they fear that they will prosecuted if they put

their names and IC on the forms. But some do not fear that. I do not see any reason

for government to prosecute them and I hope that government will not do so.

 So to conclude on this point, I urge the Yang Amat Berhormat Ketua Menteri to

seriously consider the three thrust that we have been calling for and that 113,000

Sarawakians have been asking for and many more out there who have not signed but

like yet what Ahli Yang Berhormat for Asajaya has said “everyone wants that”. If

everyone wants that, if the government can afford it, why not give it to them. It will only

show that Yang Amat Berhormat, the new Chief Minister is a person who cares for the

people. In this time of Barang Naik (BN), Sarawak BN reduce the electricity tariff. What

better gift to the Sarawakians when the new Chief Minister coming to power?

Point no. 4, Tuan Speaker, this is about our Impian Sarawak Projects, nowadays we have been mentioned more by the Barisan Nasional members than by DAP and I would like to comment on a quote by, on a saying by Yang Amat Berhormat Ketua Menteri about the hen laying eggs. He has liken DAP carrying out the projects and Barisan Nasional Government doing the projects. Liken these two to hen laying eggs, saying that a sea turtle laying eggs, saying that DAP carry out projects just like hen laying eggs. The whole kampung knows when they lay an egg but when BN Government carry out projects, they are just like sea turtle laying eggs. Many eggs but they keep quite. This is quite a very analogy of the whole thing.

Tuan Speaker, Tuan Speaker, about this hen laying  egg, sea turtlse laying eggs thing analogy, Tuan Speaker, do you know how often a hen laying eggs, how regular a hen laying eggs? According to Google search, a hen laying eggs 25 hours one time but do you know how often a turtle laying eggs, very long, it is seasonal, it is seasonal. Tuan Speaker, how regular a turtle laying eggs, it is seasonal, it just like Barisan Nasional. They carry out project seasonal, when the election comes then speed up the carry out of the project but DAP do this consistently, every day of 25 hours one time, 25 hours one time, unlike BN, seasonal, seasonal, seasonally laying eggs.

Tuan Speaker: You give way.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) dan Menteri Muda Perumahan (Y.B.

Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah): I think I am just trying to relay this,

because this is something which is in kata-kata orang melayu, macam ayam kampung,

telur sebiji riuh sekampung, biarlah kita macam penyu, bertelur 100 biji tetapi senyap,

okay, okay. Wait, wait, I am still continue, I am just trying to explain why the Chief

Minister was saying that, it is not about how many hours the telur is, what he is trying to

say is that when you do one project, you blew sky high. Ini baru 11 projects, we have

been counting tapi the whole world tahu, where else we got thousands and thousands

of projects, we are not been barking about it.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Tuan Speaker, an analogy has been drawn, an

analogy has been drawn.

Tuan Speaker: You give way to Nangka?

 Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: No, no, no, it is all right, I will answer to Ahli Yang

Berhormat bagi Asajaya first. An analogy has been drawn about, is like hen laying eggs

and Barisan Nasional doing projects are like penyu laying egg, and not only about the

frequency of laying eggs, the manner of laying eggs also very similar (laughter) for DAP.

We are ... (Interruption) Barisan Nasional like penyu laying eggs, curi-curi laying eggs,

very secretive manner, once they lay eggs just like BN, .... (Interruption)

Tuan Speaker: Order, order, I think enough, you have made your...move on move on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: This is typical of Barisan Nasional when they, when

they try to call the analogy, they laugh about it. When the full impact of the analogy

came hit them, they say all enough about it. .... (Inaudible)

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: It is an analogy, it is an analogy.

Let me tell, let me tell member from Barisan Nasional.

Enough of this laying eggs things. Enough of Barisan Nasional laying turtle eggs things.

Tuan Speaker: Ahli Yang Berhormat bagi Kota Sentosa, I think you should move on to

other topic, move on to other topic.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Yea, move on, move on. Tuan Speaker, Tuan

Speaker, I‟ll move our head from this egg laying things, egg laying business, I go on to

the our IMPIAN Sarawak Projects. Tuan Speaker, yesterday amongst the question that

were asked, I think from Opar, from Pantai Damai, they are complaining about their

kawasan no electricity, no water, hopefully the Government can do it, nadai ai, nadai api

bakani ulih idup, parai aku.... (Laughter) Therefore when we are going to the

Kampungs, they told us enggai undi Barisan Nasional agik, enggai, enggai.. (Laughter)

So, Tuan Speaker, after 50 years we still have so many kampungs and we still

Honourable Members raising issues of nadai ai, nadai api in this Dewan Undangan

Negeri. It is just got to show how slow this penyu is laying eggs... (laughter). That is

why I say, seasonal. Once election come, speed up some the eggs laying process and

then after that we have to wait for another election. We have gone to some of the

kampungs. I will just give you some of the things that we have met in Rumah Grik anak

Tom in Betong. The longhouse was just about 200 meters from the main JKR‟s pipe.

They have been asking for the JKR to connect the pipe to their longhouse. They have

waited for twenty years no response. When our IMPIAN Sarawak Team went to the

longhouse and tell them ok, if the Government doesn‟t do it, we do it for you. And we,

our IMPIAN Sarawak Team going visiting to this Rumah Grik anak Tom went to the

D.O. Within a week fund was allocated, JKR Officer went to connect the pipes from the

main pipe to each and every household in the longhouse. They do not even need to

pay the water meter connection fees. Why? How can this happen? A project that can

be carried out within a week but they have to wait for twenty years, the penyu didn‟t

come. It was not the egg laying season for the penyu.

And another kampung Jalan Pa‟as, Kampung Sikuk in Bengoh I believe Tuan

Speaker is aware of this place. There is earth road to twelve houses in the kampung is

so muddy that the owners of this twelve houses, they have to park their cars a few

hundred meters away from their house and walk on foot to their individual respective

houses. And they have applied to the elected representative of their kawasan for six to

seven years, NO response. And our IMPIAN Sarawak Team came to that kampung

and I say that ok, if the Government doesn‟t do it, we do it for you and next minute you

know the elected representative allocate the fund buy the gravels, buy the pebbles and

lay a gravel road up to everyone of the twelve houses, up to the doorstep of everyone of

this twelve houses. And the other gravity feed water system like Kampung Said Mok

Ayong Bengoh, Ulu Wap Pakan, Kuala Sigu Bintulu, Ruang Ring Rantau Kuala

Limbang, those are, that projects we have done for the kampung people and Tuan

Speaker, I know these projects if compare to the might, to the wealth that Barisan

Nasional can command being the Government is nothing, is peanuts but these are

money that we have raised from donation from public to carry out this project to improve

the living environment of the people, of Sarawak and a lot of this fund come from our

West Malaysian friends.

Tuan Speaker, the true impact of IMPIAN Sarawak is not about doing this project

only it is about giving hope to the people. If DAP as an opposition can carry out this

project, what more to say if we become the Government. They don‟t need to wait so

long, wait for the season to come wait for the penyu to lay eggs.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) dan Menteri Muda Perumahan (Y.B.

Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah): Tuan Speaker, how many of IMPIAN

Sarawak project that DAP has already implemented so far? I would like to invite you to

do one in Asajaya.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: We have completed out for this seven to eight

months, we have completed about seven to twelve projects. And I will be most willing to

do a project in Asajaya but Honourable Member for Asajaya, please be aware that the

implication of us doing a project in a kawasan of the Assistant Minister at the end of the

day you say, you are trying to play politics again‟.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) dan Menteri Muda Perumahan (Y.B.

Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah): Why I am inviting you to Asajaya

because I noticed this seven projects are, when you are to implement it, you are quite

selective. Selective in a way that you only identify areas where you feel like you are

going to contest of you feel like you are going, you have got a little bit of chance to

contest. Isn‟t it? That is why I ask you whether you would want to implement it in

Asajaya or else I will be most willing to bring you over, tell you this is the kampung I

would want to see you implement the thing. I will give you the support there. Okay.

Because one thing I know you will say it is just a waste of time for us because there is

no way you can win in Asajaya or no way you are going to put a candidate down there.

Presently you are being selective, you just choose and pick areas where you feel there

is a little bit of chance for you to go in. That is the area you are going ...(interruption)

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Tuan Speaker, yea, we have against since history

being made in this house today and Assistant Minister asking for project from the

opposition ... (laughter). Normally it is the backbenches or the opposition asking the

Assistant Minister for implementation of project. Now, today we see the reverse.

Assistant Minister asking the opposition to carry out project in his kawasan. I don‟t

mind, I don‟t mind. Honourable Assistant Minister, we can do it, don‟t worry. But of

course we have to be selective in our projects but for you, I promise you within our

means ten to twenty thousand, no problem. We will do it for you. Of course we are

selective because we are accountable to the donors, we have to be accounted and we

have limited resources.

 Tuan Speaker, I urge the Honourable Member from Barisan National not to be so

fearful of this IMPIAN Sarawak projects.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: If you are not fearful then you don‟t have to, there will

not be increased in the attack as smearing of this Impian Sarawak project. You are

paranoid. Well we are doing our part, you have the full weight of the government

machineries, the tax payers money to carry out projects at your wimp and fancy. So

why if you are not fearful about Impian Sarawak project. Why are you trying to tarnish,

smear this project? Smear the good name of Impian Sarawak. Well I will talk to

Honourable Member for Asajaya on his Asajaya project. You are not questioning me. I

read statement made by Members for Barisan Nasional. Very vicious, very paranoid.

You just expose your fear that DAP is moving into the rural area.

Menteri Muda di Pejabat Ketua Menteri (Promosi Pendidikan Teknikal) dan

Menteri Muda Alam Sekitar (Y.B. Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh): Can you be more

specific on who give that vicious statement on that particular thing? Thank you.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: One of them is Honourable Member for Bengoh. You

don‟t get ... (interruption). I gave you already the name. You can ask the Honourable

Member for Bengoh about the statement that he has made. It is in the papers, it is in the

papers. If you do not read the newspaper, I cannot help you. Then, I cannot help you.

As an Assistant Minister you do not read newspaper? What do you read? What do you

read? Read bank accounts statement? It is not the newspaper from me. It is Sarawak

Tribune, it is Borneo Post. You got to check with the Honourable Member for Bengoh.

Tuan Speaker, can I ask him to sit down? Can I ask him to sit? I give you, I will be

finishing soon. I have given you the specific. I have given you the name of the maker of

that statement and that is one of them only. You go and read.

 If you do not read, you expect me to spoon feed you about which newspaper to read, on what day. I am not your tutor. I am not your babysitter as well. (Laughter). So Tuan Speaker, on another minor point is a short point

... (interruption)

Tuan Speaker: Do you give way?

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: No, I do not give way to him. I do not give way to

people who do not read newspaper. (Laughter). Tuan Speaker, Okay, 5 minutes.

Tuan Speaker, this is about your kawasan, about your kawasan. I have received

complaints from resident in 27th Mile that they have been out of water supply for the last

three weeks and that the reason given by the Government is that the JKR water pump

has broken down. I think, I think, that, that ... (interruption)

Tuan Speaker: If you are asking me, I am telling you that it is all in order now.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Ah?

Tuan Speaker: It is all in order now.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Ah? It is all in order?

Tuan Speaker: The supply is on. Yes.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: That is good, that is good. But, you should not be

waiting for three weeks to repair a water pump.

Tuan Speaker: It is not. You cannot just say three weeks.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: It is more than three weeks?

Tuan Speaker: The Honourable Member, for that area is only three days due to some

break down. So, do not say three weeks.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: No lah. I think the Honourable Member for Pending

can pledge for that. I have received a complaint about last week.

Tuan Speaker: Okay, okay.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Last week, I have received the complaint.

Tuan Speaker: Okay, okay. Why not now?

 Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: So, Tuan Speaker, can I, can I move... Can I...can I go

on to the last point? Last point.... If you are hungry, you go off first la, you go eat first la.

(Laughter) If you are hungry, you go eat first. The Hansard recorder will record it. If you

hungry you go eat first la. We have to do our job here. (Laughter). Tuan Speaker this is

about...

Tuan Speaker: Let him finishes it, let him finish it. Go on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: Hah?

Tuan Speaker: Move on, move on.

Y.B. Encik Chong Chieng Jen: This is about .... (interruption) Ya, this is about a

request by a group for part time students who are supposed to have, to be eligible to

receive some Baitulmal Assistance Fund. There are the category of Asnaf

Fisabilillah....(Interruption)

Let me elaborate. It is the assistance fund to be given to students to pursue their

study but according to the request that I have received a complaint that I received, the

fund do not assist those who are working or studying part time. But there are some

students who are force to work part time or full time to help out with the family financial

obligation while they can only have time for part time study. I hope that the government

will consider this group of students who those study part time and doing their work part

time to allow them to have the assistance fund from the Baitulmal. So that this is after

all Baitulmal has a lot of fund and has even enough fund to build large building. Why

not give some assistance to this students who are studying part time. With those

remarks I will conclude my debate. Thank you Tuan Speaker.