Pelawan State Assemblyman David Wong Kee Woan's speech at
the Sarawak State Assembly sitting on April 24, 2015
Tuan Speaker, I would like to make an observation of the
number of cabinet members and assistant minister in the House. Since 2.30pm this
afternoon, I have seen only two ministers and three assistant ministers in this
House.
It shows how much
they care about the people’s welfare. They should be present all the time and
listen to the Members who speak out for the people. We only meet twice a year
and yet they can’t find the time to make themselves present and they are here
in force only when the Chief Minister is here. It’s a shame and I hope the the
Chief Minister will look into this matter seriously.
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| David Wong Kee Woan |
Tuan Speaker, 2015 has been a year of upheaval for
Malaysia, the economic, social and political landscape of the country take a
heavy pounding and with the people confused and angered to the lack of
direction and answers to the problems face by the nation.
Survey by Merdeka center
A survey by the Merdeka center in 2014 on whether the country
is going in the wrong or right direction shows that as at October 2014, 54% of
those survey said its going in the wrong direction versus 37% saying its going
in the right direction.
I believe if a survey is done right now, more than 60%
would say it’s going in the wrong direction especially with the implementation
of the GST and the depreciation of the Ringgit, prices of goods and services
have soared by some 20-25%.
The survey shows that people are most concerned (65%)
with the economic issues comprising price hike, petrol prices, cost of living
rising house price and employment. Other issues such as crime and social
problems, racial issuesand political issues although are important take a
backseat to economic issues.
The latest developments in the country is breaking the heart
of Sarawakians as our partner in the Malaysia federation has almost wiped out
all the conditions and rights that are meant to protect and safeguard the
autonomy and the special interest of the people of Sarawak.
First there is the Kelatan Hudud Bill that intended to
change our secularism into an Islamic state and the refusal of the PM to make a
stand on this Hudud issue. Never in the history of Malaysia has the very
foundation of the nation, that is, secularism, been questioned and shaken and
yet the PM refuses to make a stand on this issue.
PAS with the collaboration of UMNO is challenging the
federal constitution and the Malaysia agreement and yet Sarawak government has
been left out of this.
Tuan Speaker, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri
Abdul Rahmim Noor says the implementation of Hudud may lead Sabah and Sarawak
to conduct a referendum for independence as the states had never agreed to the
Islamic penal code before forming Malaysia.(April 6, 2015 malaymail online)
Our YAB CM has candidly revealed that the demand for 20%
oil and gas royalties had been turned down by the federal government and
Petronas. The question is “what’s next?” How can the federal government refused
such a fair and equitable demand since Sarawak has been robbed of by the 1976
Petroleum agreement.
Recently Parliament intends to pass amendments to the
Seditious Act which also seeks to introduce a clause that will "make
clear" that any act of inciting any person or group to demand for the
secession of any state from Malaysia is deemed seditious. That clause was
finally withdrew after strong opposition in the Parliament from the opposition
members in the house.
Limitations of the CM
Tuan Speaker, I must admit and many would agree with me
that the CM has spoken a lot of things right and make Sarawakians “feel good”
such as the allocation of fund to the Chinese Independent school, no hudud in
Sarawak, made the state cabinet and state civil servants take the integrity
pledge and speak out against religious bigots and extremism.
However, the CM
cannot stop the federal government from implementing the GST, he cannot make
the federal government agree with the 20% oil and gas royalties, he cannot stop
the prices of goods from spiralling, he cannot stop the poor from been poorer
and he cannot make the federal government stop the leakages and undo the 1MDB
scandal and he cannot rid Sarawakians from the mounting 740 billion national
debt.
Performance of State minister
Tuan Speaker, the CM is the head of the state government
but he is only as good as the team of the state cabinet. Would he sacked the
ministers or assistant ministers if they are under performed and disregard the
interests of the peoples?
Tuan Speaker, many of the current cabinet members are not
even following the footsteps of the CM and some of them are not living up to
the expectation of the CM as well. An example is the “Fire hydrants not
functioning at the Sibu airport” which I had highlighted in November 2014 in
this August House.
I said the “14 high pressured water Hydrants at the Sibu
Airport are not functional as the water pipes that linked them to the source of
the water has busted and thus there is no water supply to the said hydrants. If
fire broke out then the consequence is beyond words.”
Until today, the water hydrants are still not working!
What kind of government is this? Do we have to wait until people’s lives are
lost or injured to take actions? The Sibu airport extension’ project which was completed
in December 2011 cost the tax payers 140 million and yet the government can’t
spend another I million to make it good?
Even after the issue has been highlighted in this August
House and the state minister’s reply that his ministry will look into the
matter has been recorded in the Hansard, the matter is still left unresolved
almost six months after that.
The people just cannot accept this kind of couldn’t
careless attitude of the government and the lives and security of the people
should be the top priority. Tuan Speaker, would the CM do something about the
state minister in charged? Or is the CM just good in rhetoric? I hope the CM
would address this issue in this August House.
Dilemmas of Sarawak-An agreement forged and forgotten
Tuan Speaker, year after year, Yang Berhormat from both
political divide came to this House and fought and lobbied for what our
counterparts in West Malaysia had already enjoy decades ago, the basic
facilities like clean water supply, electricity, hospitals, fire fighting,
decent tar sealed roads and sometimes even police station.
Are we proud of ourselves sitting in this Majestic House
and drawing a fat allowance when our people have to suffer due to our inability
to provide more for them?
Yet sometimes I really wonder whether politics have taken
away the conscience from some of us, those who supported the GST, those who
remain quiet about the wrongs/ unfair treatments that the federal government
had inflicted upon our beloved state and its people.
Tuan Speaker, the question is “why is Sarawak lagging so
far behind our West Malaysia counterparts. Over the 52 years, how much had the
Federal government taken from the state and how much in return had they granted
us that made us the poorest state in the Federation?
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