Another Sarawak's rights taken over by the federal government?

 By Chong Chieng Jen,

MP for Bandar Kuching

Another erosion of Sarawak’s right has just taken place this year amidst Chief Minister Adenan Satem’s call for Sarawak’s autonomy.  This time, such erosion of Sarawak’s rights is done by a Ministry which is headed by a Minister from Sarawak, the MP for Santubong.

Today, in my debate on the 2017 Budget on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, I took on the MP for Santubong for the new policy set by his Ministry which encroaches on Sarawak’s rights over the mining and exportation of its natural resources, ie. sand, clay and stones.

Previously, before 2016, any company who wishes to export clay, sand or stones needs only the approval from the Lands and Surveys, Sarawak.  However, this year, a new policy was implemented by the Minerals and Geosains Department which is under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Under the new policy, any party who wish to export sand, clay or stones needs to obtain prior permits from the Minerals and Geosains Department, which is a federal government’s agency.  In addition to the permit, the exporters are also required to pay more than RM1 per ton of the sand, clay and stones exported.

In a direct way, the Federal Government is now exerting its control over our mining industry which is within the State’s jurisdiction.  The Federal Government is also extracting money from Sarawakians for the exportation of minerals from Sarawak.

Worst of all, such encroachment of Sarawak’s rights, is approved and implemented by a Federal Minister from Sarawak, a Minister from the so-called local party “PBB”.

I have also quoted Adenan’s phrase about “MPs sleeping in Parliament allowing the erosion of Sarawak’s rights to take place”.  In this case, it is worse than MP sleeping, it is a Sarawakian Minister actively taking part in the erosion of Sarawak’s rights.

This is yet another proof that all along, it is the Sarawak BN working together with the National BN that continuously eroded Sarawak’s rights and interest.

With this new policy, the federal government can exert its control over the mining activities in Sarawak which, up till this year, has been under the sole jurisdiction of the State Government. 

Only two weeks ago, an exporter of clay was stopped from exporting clay from Sarawak because it has failed to obtain a permit from the Mining and Geosains Department.  As a result, the company had to send the pre-arranged vessel away empty vessel, thus causing heavy losses.

Such new policy by the Mineral & Geosains Department surely makes a mockery of Adenan’s call for more autonomy for Sarawak.  While Adenan and his BN colleague have yet successfully fought for more autonomy for the State, we are losing more and more of what we have.

As Wan Junaidi was not present in Parliament today to reply to the question raised by me and his deputy is totally incapable of answering such issue, I will continue to press on the matter not only at the Federal level, but also at State level.

Being a part of the BN coalition, Adenan owes Sarawakian an explanation why such erosion of State’s right continues under the BN Government despite his repeated calls for more autonomy for Sarawak.  Is all his autonomy talk a mere play-acting ploy to fish for votes?-Nov 16, 2016