By Kelvin Yii
Barisan Nasional Sarawak has a skewed logic that the
people of Sarawak should strengthen BN in Putrajaya so that we can somehow better
stand up to Putrajaya.
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| Kelvin Yii: It makes no sense for need to strengthen UMNO-BN for Sarawak |
The fact of the matter is every vote for Barisan Nasional
Sarawak strengthens and empowers the position of UMNO-BN in Putrajaya who has
over the years side-lined us as a State as well as downgraded our rightful
status and equal partners in the Federation.
In response to the recent statement by Minister in the
Prime Minister Department Nancy Shukri that ‘BN must win big in Sarawak to
influence federal government’, I would like to reiterate that it makes no sense
for the need to strengthen UMNO-BN for Sarawak only then for the State to make
our demands known.
Why strengthen the party that we want to stand up and
demand from? Why are we shying away from our “King-maker status” when we are in
a position to demand what is rightfully ours now when PM Najib and the federal
BN is at their weakest?
This clearly shows the insincerity of Barisan Nasional
government to give us back our rights as well as the subordination of all the
other component parties to UMNO.
They are just using this as a ruse to appeal for votes in
an attempt to deflect from the years of mismanagement of bad governance of the
Barisan Nasional government.
Thus, the call to ‘strengthen Putrajaya so we can stand
up to Putrajaya’ makes no sense and is a skewed logic by BN Sarawak.
Whether it is Stampin, Bandar Kuching or any
parliamentary seat in the State, it is important we, regardless of race
remember the bigger issue at hand which is the need to save Malaysia from being
known as a 'global kleptocracy' and ensure that Malaysia fulfills our early
promise to become a vibrant democracy and a model to the world as a united,
harmonious, just, progressive and prosperous nation where the diversities of
race, religion, language and culture are national assets and strengths and not
national liabilities and weaknesses.
I thus want to reiterate our pledge that a Pakatan-led
Putrajaya will give full autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak in line with Malaysia
Agreement 1963 as well as pay out 20% in oil royalty from Sabah and Sarawak’s
respective oil revenue as well as return 50% of all taxes collected, including
from the GST, to the states’ coffers.- July 17, 2017.
Note: The writer is
a special assistant to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen
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