"Don't waste time on SUPP-UPP quarrel, let's talk about getting back our education, medical autonomies"

KUCHING, Dec 9, 2014: It is a waste of time for the Sarawak DAP to focus its attention on the quarrel between Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and its break-away group, United People's Party (UPP), remarked Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen today.

"Instead of talking about the quarrel, we should focus our attention in getting back our education and medical autonomies as well as our partial autonomy on the police force," he said the press conference.

Chong (picture), who is Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament, was asked to comment on the on-going war of words between SUPP and UPP in the local press.

He said:"We should focus our attention to get back our autonomy on education, including insisting on the amendments to the Federal Constitution, so we can decide what is best and beneficial for Sarawak."

He said since the Federal government took over education from Sarawak in the 1970s, all school syllabi were drafted by Malayan officers taking into account the Malay supremacy, Malayan history and Umno agenda while totally omitting Sarawak and its history.

He said the present school syllabi have led to the emergence of racial and religious elements among the students.

"As long as education is in the hand of the Federal government, we will continue to see the emergence all elements of religious and racial extremists in our midst, the likes of Zulkifli Nordin, Ibrahim Ali and Abdullah Zaik," he said.

He said if education autonomy is returned to Sarawak, the state government can formulate its own school syllabi, taking into account local conditions, the state's multi-racial and multi-religious society.

"The present syllabi are giving too much emphasis on Malaya so much so that little is given on Sarawak," he added.

On medical autonomy, he said only Sarawakians know what is best for the state.

He said with medical autonomy, Sarawak can have its own allocations for its medical and health programmes, instead of being unfairly treated by the Federal government.

"We can have more funds for rural health programmes and flying doctor service if we have medical under state control," he added.

On partial autonomy on the police force, Chong said that it had worked well when Sarawak was fighting the communist insurgency in the 1960s to 1970s.

"We have RASCOM (Rajang Security Command) under state control and we have Border Scout placed in the hands of the state government.

"So I don't see why we can't have partial control over the police, " he suggested.

Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa State lawmaker, said the federal government should act as "coordinator" of the police force just like the United States, but Sarawak should have partial control over the police.

"It had worked well in the past so I don't see why it can't work now," he added.